SOUTH AMERICA SEPTEMBER: Jackson crew heads south
"It´s cowboy-style catskiing," said David Owen, owner of PowderQuest Ski Tours. He brought a few of his clients to experience the backcountry with the B Team. "You can´t really compare it to anywhere else," he said.
Only in his third year of operation, at age 72, Toni is living his dream. He bought the property in 1983. After a four-day July storm a year later buried a rope tow, his dream to build a ski area was postponed. Finally, with the financial help of a few Aspen clients (he´s a ski instructor for Aspen/Snowmass) he was able to start up the operation 20-some years later. "It is the dream of my life," he said. He hopes to eventually build a bunkhouse for clients to stay at the Refugio (so far he has relationships with four hotels in Los Andes, including a 280-year-old hacienda) where people can stay. Then after he does that, builds a gondola and restaurant, he will be able to "die in peace," he said.
We piled into the Mystery Van and and bid farewell to Valle Nevado. Next stop, Santiago to pick up buddy Pete Leitton and then south to Pucon for Independencia, the biggest weeklong party in Chile…