In the approximate center of the Tahoe National Forest, a bald knob of mineralized rock protrudes from a mountain, shedding flakes of scree down the steep banks. On top of the prominence, a small shack of a fire lookout holds fast just feet away from sheer cliffs that fall off hundreds of feet. The Grouse Ridge Lookout is one of the oldest fire lookouts in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, having been built in 1923 by members of the U.S. Forest Service. The original band had to use horses and mules to lug various construction materials and equipment. The lookout …