It is the last day of our trip. Claudio rails the snowfield above the glacier like a champ. Through the flat light of overcast skies, his spray is visible from my perch on the deck of the refugio. Goosebumps rise as I vicariously live the joy of each turn in the foot of fresh that has fallen. Claudio is on his new skis. He revels in the honor and respect that has been bestowed upon him. At the southernmost refugio in the world, situated at the base of some of the best glacial access anywhere, two dirt-poor ski bum bros just had a massive pile of new and used gear dumped on them, compliments of the international brotherhood of PowderMaggots in conjunction with a group of benevolent manufacturers. In gratitude, the Argentine soul sliders slaughter two lambs, break out a potpourri of South American party favors, and crank the music for the feast about to ensue, as it is also our going-away party.

Amidst mountains rising from inlets winding out toward the Pacific and the Atlantic, the anonymous glacier where the refugio is located is just another patch of white, topping out to gnarled rock formations that make the Andean Cordillera such a spectacular sight. Here, in Tierra del Fuego, the peaks don't hit the heights reached on the mainland. But located less than 1000 miles north of Antarctica, winter falls all the way to sea level. The saltwater port below the glacier, which we just can't bring ourselves to name, is temporary quarters for a group of PowderMaggots who have converged to conduct final testing on the new Bro Model skis made by PM Gear, the maggot namesake enterprise. A land of exquisite food, beautiful women, friendly people, and prices sweet enough to fuel the dreams of a hemisphere full of ski bums, it is Heaven on Earth. The ultimate ski town without any skiers.

But it is a poor place where most locals can't afford to ski. The price of a lift ticket at the nearby resort runs 77 pesos a day, a tenth or more of the average local monthly income. The resort caters to foreigners, race teams training off-season, and the Buenos Aires elite. But the refugio is affordable. Located just above the top station of an old chair the refugio sits at the base of the glacier. A lift ticket runs only 5 pesos per ride, or 10 pesos a day to repeatedly ski the single run. But the snowfields above it provide leg access to hundreds of square miles of the Andes, or laps within and around a large cirque. The refugio is a summer tourist stop for those for those traveling to Anarctica who take sidetrips to the glacier, a place where upscale tourons ask the infinitely ridiculous, from "Where is the glacier?" to "Where are the banos?" The first question is answered with a pointed arm upwards to the mountain, the second with a motion to the trees, much to the dismay of those who inquire.

Click here for the complete Refugio Photo Gallery!