Villa Ascension

Set atop Forest Road in Vail, Ascension rises in dark wood and stone beneath multiple steep gables, a round turret with curved glass windows anchoring one corner. A private funicular climbs the wooded hillside behind the house, birch trees lining its track up to a ski chalet perched at the summit, stone steps offering an alternate route for those who'd rather walk.

Inside, stone fireplaces anchor several distinct living rooms, antler-motif pillows and mountain-view windows looking out over Vail Village and the surrounding peaks. A wine nook holds glassware behind curved glass shelving, and a quiet reading corner pairs leather chairs with a marble-top table near its own fireplace. The dining room centers on a long table for large groups beneath an antler chandelier, the kitchen nearby running along a dramatic granite island beneath a copper range hood. The primary suite opens onto forest views, its ensuite bath holding a freestanding tub before a peaked window that looks straight down the hillside at the funicular track below.

Outside, a heated pool and a stone fire pit anchor the patio, the funicular and its stone-step alternative climbing the hillside just beyond. Ski-in/ski-out access puts the Simba run within easy reach. The mountain's quiet settles in around the property, birch and pine rising on every side.