These days, with little ones at home, my days of being on the slopes from bell to bell are definitely on hiatus. Not that I could ski from 9-4 anymore if I tried, or après with as much stamina for that matter, but for me, it’s typically a dash out the door to log some runs, enjoy the fresh air, and get a workout. Let me just say that I cherish every minute of those 3-hour intervals (3 hours on a good day) partly because there aren’t many resorts where such quality, abbreviated ski outings can feasibly happen. Sure I live in town, which is a bonus as far as the commute, but the amount of expert terrain, and how quickly one can rack up some vertical, is truly unique to Telluride. While shoving some Clif Shot Bloks in my mouth (you know those gummy things that taste like candy, but are supposed to be good for you), I jump on lifts 8 and 9. The ride up is a tad slow, but I look at it as a good time to catch up on some phone calls. I then take a warm-up down 9 because the terrain is incredible and a great way to get the blood flowing (even though the lift is slower than molasses). Nothing like the bumps on Mammoth or Mak’m to get my mind off dirty diapers. After a second ride up Lift 9, I head straight to Gold Hill, which in my opinion is the most bang for your buck. The ride climbs 1,475 vertical feet in about 3.5 minutes and if you know where you’re going, you can ski about 6-7 runs in an hour…that’s about 9,000 vertical. I usually start with Dynamo, then dive into Millions, then Little Rose, then do them all over again…with variations in between. Speaking of quick laps, Revelation Bowl may only be 783 vertical feet long, but if you’re looking to make fast, big turns in the sunshine, it’s the way to go. I must admit, I wasn’t all that thrilled when there was talk of putting a lift back there as I thought it would just be short, and sort of silly. Boy was I wrong. The pitch is perfect, the snow is good nine out of 10 times, the scenery is fantastic and the sunshine is unobstructed. Best of all, Gold Hill 1 is steps away from the top of the lift, which has to be one of the best in-bounds runs in North America. It’s steep, exposed in spots, technical in sections, and on a powder day, you can really fly. Sometimes I enjoy heading over to Prospect for a couple, particularly when the snow is good. Although runs like La Rosa and Genevieve aren’t very long, their precipitous pitch and north-facing exposure make up for it. Further up the ridge, the terrain is certainly worthwhile, but if I’m going for an in-bounds hike, the Gold Hill Chutes are where it’s at. When open, those are an utter treat, and take resort skiing to a new level. They’re also when I make that quick call to my husband and say, “take the bottle out of the fridge, babe; mommy’s going to be a little late.”