Hike to Lost Trail Lodge

Lost Trail Lodge owner David Robertson finishes clearing a landing spot for the occasional helicopter landing. Six miles northwest of Squaw Valley and four and a half miles northeast of Truckee, Calif., the Lost Trail Lodge is a backcountry destination. Once at the lodge, guests are virtually cut off from society. (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)

Sept. 16, 2014 11:23 AM PT

A skier heads out from Lost Trail Lodge on a cross-country trek into upper Coldstream Valley. The lodge is tucked four miles into Coldstream Canyon. (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)

Skiers head on a cross-country skiing tour into upper Coldstream Valley. (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)

Bruce Junell peeks at the fresh snow outside his room during a visit to Lost Trail Lodge. (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)

Detail of a Native American totem near the front door in the Lost Trail Lodge. Most of the lodge is made from local fallen lodgepole pines. (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)

Opie, a Great Pyrenees, greets guests arriving at Lost Trail Lodge. The lodge is only accessible in the winter by snowshoeing, skiing or snowmobile. (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)

Lost Trail Lodge guest Les Wilson, 76, rests before dinner after a day of exploring the backcountry around the lodge in Coldstream Canyon. (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)

Lost Trail Lodge hosts a regular Saturday night bluegrass jam at the lodge. Rick Sparks, left, and Karen Roemmick, part of a band called Westwind, regularly make the trek to play music for guests. (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)

Lost Trail Lodge guest Jane Gunther heads into the woods for an afternoon of sledding. (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)

The beams of the Lost Trail Lodge are fallen lodgepole pines, and the stones used to build the lodge were gathered from Coldstream Creek. (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)

View out of the kitchen window of the Lost Trail Lodge. (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)

Lost Trail Lodge is near Truckee, Calif. Hidden four miles into Coldstream Canyon, the lodge is in the Sierra Nevada mountains. (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)

Nestled in the Sierra snow, Lost Trail Lodge is a hideaway that’s more away than most. (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)

Lost Trail Lodge guests gather to enjoy Saturday night bluegrass. (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)

Lost Trail Lodge owner David Robertson, left, leads the Saturday night festivities at the lodge. (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)

Guests share a meal at Lost Trail Lodge. Guests are responsible for supplying their own groceries, and often people pool their food for a communal feast. (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)