[TAPE REWINDING]
[CHAIN RATTLING]
MOST PARKS, YOU KNOW,
A RANGER IS EXPECTEDTO KIND OF DO EVERYTHING,
EXPECTED TO KNOW EVERYTHING.
WE WEAR A TREMENDOUS AMOUNTOF DIFFERENT HATS.
TODAY, BEING THATITâS STILL EARLY,
SHOULD BEA PRETTY QUIET MORNING.
HO.
HI.HEY.
[CLICKS TONGUE]
YOU GUYS WANT TO PET HIM,SAY HI TO HIM?
HIS NAME IS CLINT.
IF YOU GUYS WANT TO PET HIM,YOU PET HIM RIGHT HERE.
OK.
HE REALLY LIKES KIDS.HEâS A REALLY GOOD HORSE.
[CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS]
GOT IT.
THANK YOU, SIR.GOOD? YEAH.
APPRECIATE IT.THANK YOU.
NO PROBLEM.HAVE A GREAT MORNING.
WHATâS YOURHORSEâS NAME?
CLINT.
Man: YOSEMITE IS ONEOF THE MOST REGULATED
HANG GLIDING SITESON THE PLANET.
ONLY ADVANCED PILOTSARE ALLOWED TO FLY HERE,
BUT ITâS EXTREMELY RESTRICTIVE
AS FAR AS WHAT TIMEYOUâRE ALLOWED TO FLY,
EARLY IN THE MORNINGWHEN ITâS REALLY SMOOTH,
AND YOU HAVE TO BE DOWN.
YOU KNOW, THEREâS ONLYONE SPOT TO LAND.
WE CANâT GET UPAND FLY AND SOAR
AND GO CROSS COUNTRYLIKE WE MIGHT IN OTHER PLACES,
BUT ITâS A BEAUTIFUL SPOT,AND SO ITâS WORTH IT.
Different man:AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT,
I DONâT THINK THEREâSANOTHER NATIONAL PARK
THAT ALLOWS HANG GLIDING.
SO WEâRE REALLY BLESSEDTHAT WE CAN FLY
THIS BIG, OLD GODâS CHURCH,
JUST AMAZING.
HOW MANY TIMES DO YOUGO TO CHURCH
AND THEY LET YOUFLY AROUND INSIDE IT?
HA HA HA!
ALL RIGHT.
LAUNCHING.
[WIND WHISTLING]
YEAH!
Man: âª HERE I GO âª
âª GO, GO, HERE I GO âª
âª HERE I GO âª
âª JUMP âª
YEAH! WHOO HOO HOO HOO!
WHOO HOO!
WHOO HOO HOO HOO!
Woman: SO THEREâS A COUPLEOF WAYS OF STARTING A PAINTING.
YOU CAN HAVE A LIMITED PALETTE,
OR YOU CAN BE LIKE ME ANDLOVE EVERY COLOR IN THE STORE
AND JUST BRING THAT ALONG.
SO I DO BOTH.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PAINTINGAND PHOTOGRAPHY, TO ME,
IS THAT PAINTING,
IâM STANDING IN ONE PLACEFOR AN HOUR AND A HALF,
AND ITâS A VERY INTIMATEEXPERIENCE.
A PHOTOGRAPHER WILL COMETO THE SAME PLACE,
TAKE THE PICTURE, AND LEAVE,
AND I THINKTHATâS THE DIFFERENCE.
ITâS A TIME ELEMENT.ITâS A FRIENDSHIP.
ITâS AN INTIMACY.
ITâS SORT OF HARD TO TALK ABOUT,
BUT THE WORK IS IN THE SEEING
AND DECIDINGWHATâS GONNA HAPPEN.
[TAPPING]
WELCOME TO TUOLUMNE MEADOWSPOST OFFICE.
I AM MICHAEL KOCKAJKI,THE TUOLUMNE POST MAESTRO,
IN LOVELY TUOLUMNE MEADOWS,
WHERE EVERYTHINGIS BETT-OW IN THE MEADOW.
THESE ARE ALLOF THE RESUPPLY PACKAGES
FOR THE JOHN MUIRAND PACIFIC CREST TRAIL HIKERS.
PACIFIC CREST TRAIL,
THESE GUYS START IN MEXICOAND END IN CANADA.
SO THIS IS ALLTHEIR RESUPPLY PACKAGING--
SOCKS, MAMAâS COOKIES,ICE AXES, YOU NAME IT.
Man: YEAH. I AM ENJOYINGTHE BEAUTIFUL SURROUNDINGS
AFTER WALKING940-SOMETHING MILES TO GET HERE.
STAYED IN THE CAMPGROUNDLAST NIGHT
AND GOT A BURGER AT THE CAFE
AND SOME RESUPPLYOUT AT THE STORE.
SAW A LOT OF PEOPLETHAT I HADNâT SEEN
IN A COUPLE HUNDRED MILES,
AND IâM GONNA BEHIKING OUT TODAY.
GOT TO MAKE ANOTHER20-SOMETHING EVERY DAY
IF I HOPE TO GET TO CANADABY OCTOBER.
OK. MY NAME IS MARIA,
BUT EVERYBODY CALLS ME TINKER.
IâM A TRAM DRIVER IN THE GROVE,
AND IâVE BEEN IN THE PARKFOR 18 YEARS.
THATâS THE NEAT THINGABOUT THIS JOB,
IS, I MEET PEOPLEFROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
SO I NOT ONLYGET TO SHARE THE TREES,
BUT I CAN ASK THEMABOUT WHERE THEY LIVE.
I GO, "WHY WOULD I WANT TO GOTO OKLAHOMA, YOU KNOW?
WHAT WOULD I SEE THERE?"
OR, "WHY WOULD I WANT TO GOTO ITALY?"
SO I GET A LOT OF INFORMATION.I LOVE IT.
Man: ITâS NOT THAT ONEBIGGER THAN THE OTHER,
IT MAKES, REALLY, FOR MEA BIG DIFFERENCE.
ITâS JUST THAT THEY ARE ALL BIGAND RED AND VERY TALL,
AND WHEN YOU SEE THEM,
TO SEE THE MOST OF THEMYOU SEE TOGETHER,
THE MOST IMPRESSIVE IT IS.
ITâS ALMOSTA SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE
WITH HOW MUCH THESE TREESHAVE SEEN IN THEIR LIFETIME
AND HOW LONGTHEIR LIFESPAN IS
COMPARED TO OURS.
WEâRE JUST A SPECKIN COMPARISON
TO HOW LONG THESE TREESWILL BE HERE.
[BEEPS]
Man on radio:AMBULANCE ONE, PLEASE RESPOND
TO AHWAHNEE MEADOW TO RECEIVEINCOMING PATIENT
VIA AIR FROM HALF DOME.
Man: SO WEâRE RESPONDINGTO A MEDICAL PATIENT
ON THE SUBDOME OF HALF DOME.
THE REPORT WAS A 49-YEAR-OLDMALE WITH SEVERE CHEST PAIN.
WEâVE ORDEREDOUR PARK HELICOPTER
TO LAND IN AHWAHNEE MEADOW
AND MEET WITHOUR PARK RANGER MEDICS,
WHO ARE GONNAFLY TO THE SUBDOME, LAND,
HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO JUST MOVETHE PATIENT INTO THE HELICOPTER,
AND FLY HIM BACKTO AHWAHNEE MEADOW
IN PREPARATIONFOR A MEDICAL FLIGHT
TO MORE DEFINITIVE CARE.
SO WEâRE GONNALET THE WOOD BURN DOWN.
AS THAT BURNS DOWN, WEâLLSPREAD THAT AROUND THE PAN,
AND WEâLL PUT THE CORNON TOP OF THE WOOD.
THAT WILL ROAST THE CORNIN THE HUSK.
Boy: HEY!
Man: HOW MANY PEOPLEYOU GOT ON THE LINE?
YOU GOT 3 PEOPLEON THE LINE?
Different man:3 PEOPLE ON THE LINE.
ALL RIGHT.
GOT JOHNNY IN THE BACKCOVERING ALL THE BANQUETS.
SAW YOUR SPECIALSEARLIER.
THEY LOOK PHENOMENAL.
THANK YOU.
LITTLEYORKSHIRE PUDDING,
VEGETABLE OF THE DAY,
AND OUR WONDERFULPRIME RIB.
[PIANO PLAYING "AVE MARIA"]
SEE THAT THING?
YEAH.THAT THING IS SICK.
IT IS SICK.
IâM MâSO WAKALLA JONES.
WEâRE GETTING READYTO GO CLIMB CATHEDRAL PEAK.
NOW THE REAL FUNBEGINS. HA!