It was supposed to be a snowshoe trip. During normal winters, the 2-mile trail from the small hamlet of Calpine to the historic tower on Calpine Hill usually has 1-4 feet of snow.

The Calpine lookout was constructed in 1934 as a three-story structure with external stairs at an elevation of 5,980 feet, about 40 miles from Truckee. According to the Forest Service, ...