Skiing the slopes of Telluride: Colorado's Wyndham Mountain Lodge offers the ultimate in resort luxury, while providing some of the finest skiing in the West.

• Author: Buchbinder, JoAnn
• Position: Going Places

OUR EARS POPPED as the van from the Montrose Airport ascended the San Juan Mountains. We were at 9,500 feet above sea level by the time we arrived at our hotel in the Mountain Village in Telluride, Colo. As we got out of the van, breathed in the crisp 45 [degrees] air, and took in the magnificent expanse of ski slopes above us, my first thought was to grab my skis and head for the nearest trail. However, it was already 3:40 p.m., meaning there were only 20 minutes before the lifts would close. I regretfully realized that skiing would have to wait until tomorrow.

Instead, we adjusted our sights towards checking in. We were staying at the Wyndham Mountain Lodge, a ski-in/ski-out premier resort situated on six wooded acres and consisting of 128 magnificently appointed one-, two-, and three-bedroom condos. Wyndham manages the lodge along with its big sister, the fabulous resort and spa, The Peaks.

While my husband handled the registration, I took our four-year-old, Danny, to the 27,000-square-foot rustic log-and-stone main lodge, where we warmed up by the massive river-rock fireplace and enjoyed the band that plays there on Friday afternoons. While Telluride is an affluent ski community, the folks in the lodge seemed more down-to-earth than their counterparts in Vail and Aspen. There was a homey feel to the resort, albeit a Ralph Lauren one.

Our unit, a one-bedroom condo just a short walk downhill from the main lodge, was handsomely equipped, especially the kitchen with its Sub-Zero refrigerator and GE Profile range and dishwasher. Sitting on the counter was a welcome basket overflowing with fresh fruit and Disney DVDs. We could see that Danny was starting to run down after an exhausting cross-country trip that had started before dawn, so we plunked him down on the couch in the living room area and put on "A Tigger Movie" for him while we explored the rest of the unit before unpacking.

For a one-bedroom condo, it was amazingly spacious, with a dining room that could seat eight, two bathrooms (one with a whirlpool tub), a master bedroom with a king-size bed, and a large fireplace that straddled the bedroom and living room. Obviously, we were not going to be roughing it in our mountain hideaway!

After unpacking, we were all hungry. The plan was to join the Friday-night Sushi Party or head over to The Peaks via the complimentary van service and eat at their renowned restaurant, Appaloosa. This would require mobilizing a drooping Danny, though, so an alternative solution was sought.

The resort doesn't feature take-out options, but when we called Appaloosa and explained the situation, they empathized, took our order, and, barely a minute later, called back to let us know that they had arranged delivery to our door. This turned out to be just the kind of...