A rotor blade comprising: a platform, the platform having a pressure side slash face and a suction side slash face, with the pressure side slash face being circumferentially spaced apart from the suction side slash face; a shank extending radially inward from the platform; an airfoil extending radially outward from the platform, the airfoil including a leading edge and a trailing edge; and a cooling circuit defined within the rotor blade, the cooling circuit comprising: a plurality of exit channels disposed along the trailing edge of the airfoil; and a first bypass conduit and a second bypass conduit, the first bypass conduit extending radially inward from a first inlet disposed in the cooling circuit to a first outlet positioned on the pressure side slash face, the second bypass conduit disposed radially inward of the first bypass conduit and extending radially inward from a second inlet disposed in the cooling circuit to a second outlet positioned on the pressure side slash face, the first bypass conduit and the second bypass conduit each being positioned radially inward of the plurality of exit channels and each being disposed entirely radially outward of the shank, and each being disposed to extend at a sloped angle with respect to the plurality of exit channels. a platform, the platform having a pressure side slash face and a suction side slash face, with the pressure side slash face being circumferentially spaced apart from the suction side slash face; a shank extending radially inward from the platform; an airfoil extending radially outward from the platform, the airfoil including a leading edge and a trailing edge; and a cooling circuit defined within the rotor blade, the cooling circuit comprising: a plurality of exit channels disposed along the trailing edge of the airfoil; and a first bypass conduit and a second bypass conduit, the first bypass conduit extending radially inward from a first inlet disposed in the cooling circuit to a first outlet positioned on the pressure side slash face, the second bypass conduit disposed radially inward of the first bypass conduit and extending radially inward from a second inlet disposed in the cooling circuit to a second outlet positioned on the pressure side slash face, the first bypass conduit and the second bypass conduit each being positioned radially inward of the plurality of exit channels and each being disposed entirely radially outward of the shank, and each being disposed to extend at a sloped angle with respect to the plurality of exit channels. a plurality of exit channels disposed along the trailing edge of the airfoil; and a first bypass conduit and a second bypass conduit, the first bypass conduit extending radially inward from a first inlet disposed in the cooling circuit to a first outlet positioned on the pressure side slash face, the second bypass conduit disposed radially inward of the first bypass conduit and extending radially inward from a second inlet disposed in the cooling circuit to a second outlet positioned on the pressure side slash face, the first bypass conduit and the second bypass conduit each being positioned radially inward of the plurality of exit channels and each being disposed entirely radially outward of the shank, and each being disposed to extend at a sloped angle with respect to the plurality of exit channels.