[CHAIN RATTLING]

MOST PARKS, YOU KNOW,

A RANGER IS EXPECTED TO KIND OF DO EVERYTHING,

EXPECTED TO KNOW EVERYTHING.

WE WEAR A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF DIFFERENT HATS.

TODAY, BEING THAT IT’S STILL EARLY,

SHOULD BE A 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. HE’S A REALLY GOOD HORSE.

[CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS]

GOT IT.

THANK YOU, SIR. GOOD? YEAH.

APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU.

NO PROBLEM. HAVE A GREAT MORNING.

WHAT’S YOUR HORSE’S NAME?

CLINT.

Man: YOSEMITE IS ONE OF THE MOST REGULATED

HANG GLIDING SITES ON THE PLANET.

ONLY ADVANCED PILOTS ARE ALLOWED TO FLY HERE,

BUT IT’S EXTREMELY RESTRICTIVE

AS FAR AS WHAT TIME YOU’RE ALLOWED TO FLY,

EARLY IN THE MORNING WHEN IT’S REALLY SMOOTH,

AND YOU HAVE TO BE DOWN.

YOU KNOW, THERE’S ONLY ONE SPOT TO LAND.

WE CAN’T GET UP AND FLY AND SOAR

AND GO CROSS COUNTRY LIKE WE MIGHT IN OTHER PLACES,

BUT IT’S A BEAUTIFUL SPOT, AND SO IT’S WORTH IT.

Different man: AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT,

I DON’T THINK THERE’S ANOTHER NATIONAL PARK

THAT ALLOWS HANG GLIDING.

SO WE’RE REALLY BLESSED THAT WE CAN FLY

THIS BIG, OLD GOD’S CHURCH,

JUST AMAZING.

HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU GO TO CHURCH

AND THEY LET YOU FLY AROUND INSIDE IT?

HA HA HA!

ALL RIGHT.

LAUNCHING.

[WIND WHISTLING]

YEAH!

Man: ♪ HERE I GO ♪

♪ GO, GO, HERE I GO ♪

♪ HERE I GO ♪

♪ JUMP ♪

YEAH! WHOO HOO HOO HOO!

WHOO HOO!

WHOO HOO HOO HOO!

Woman: SO THERE’S A COUPLE OF WAYS OF STARTING A PAINTING.

YOU CAN HAVE A LIMITED PALETTE,

OR YOU CAN BE LIKE ME AND LOVE EVERY COLOR IN THE STORE

AND JUST BRING THAT ALONG.

SO I DO BOTH.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PAINTING AND PHOTOGRAPHY, TO ME,

IS THAT PAINTING,

I’M STANDING IN ONE PLACE FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF,

AND IT’S A VERY INTIMATE EXPERIENCE.

A PHOTOGRAPHER WILL COME TO THE SAME PLACE,

TAKE THE PICTURE, AND LEAVE,

AND I THINK THAT’S THE DIFFERENCE.

IT’S A TIME ELEMENT. IT’S A FRIENDSHIP.

IT’S AN INTIMACY.

IT’S SORT OF HARD TO TALK ABOUT,

BUT THE WORK IS IN THE SEEING

AND DECIDING WHAT’S GONNA HAPPEN.

[TAPPING]

WELCOME TO TUOLUMNE MEADOWS POST OFFICE.

I AM MICHAEL KOCKAJKI, THE TUOLUMNE POST MAESTRO,

IN LOVELY TUOLUMNE MEADOWS,

WHERE EVERYTHING IS BETT-OW IN THE MEADOW.

THESE ARE ALL OF THE RESUPPLY PACKAGES

FOR THE JOHN MUIR AND PACIFIC CREST TRAIL HIKERS.

PACIFIC CREST TRAIL,

THESE GUYS START IN MEXICO AND END IN CANADA.

SO THIS IS ALL THEIR RESUPPLY PACKAGING--

SOCKS, MAMA’S COOKIES, ICE AXES, YOU NAME IT.

Man: YEAH. I AM ENJOYING THE BEAUTIFUL SURROUNDINGS

AFTER WALKING 940-SOMETHING MILES TO GET HERE.

STAYED IN THE CAMPGROUND LAST NIGHT

AND GOT A BURGER AT THE CAFE

AND SOME RESUPPLY OUT AT THE STORE.

SAW A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT I HADN’T SEEN

IN A COUPLE HUNDRED MILES,

AND I’M GONNA BE HIKING OUT TODAY.

GOT TO MAKE ANOTHER 20-SOMETHING EVERY DAY

IF I HOPE TO GET TO CANADA BY OCTOBER.

OK. MY NAME IS MARIA,

BUT EVERYBODY CALLS ME TINKER.

I’M A TRAM DRIVER IN THE GROVE,

AND I’VE BEEN IN THE PARK FOR 18 YEARS.

THAT’S THE NEAT THING ABOUT THIS JOB,

IS, I MEET PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.

SO I NOT ONLY GET TO SHARE THE TREES,

BUT I CAN ASK THEM ABOUT WHERE THEY LIVE.

I GO, "WHY WOULD I WANT TO GO TO OKLAHOMA, YOU KNOW?

WHAT WOULD I SEE THERE?"

OR, "WHY WOULD I WANT TO GO TO ITALY?"

SO I GET A LOT OF INFORMATION. I LOVE IT.

Man: IT’S NOT THAT ONE BIGGER THAN THE OTHER,

IT MAKES, REALLY, FOR ME A BIG DIFFERENCE.

IT’S JUST THAT THEY ARE ALL BIG AND RED AND VERY TALL,

AND WHEN YOU SEE THEM,

TO SEE THE MOST OF THEM YOU SEE TOGETHER,

THE MOST IMPRESSIVE IT IS.

IT’S ALMOST A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE

WITH HOW MUCH THESE TREES HAVE SEEN IN THEIR LIFETIME

AND HOW LONG THEIR LIFESPAN IS

COMPARED TO OURS.

WE’RE JUST A SPECK IN COMPARISON

TO HOW LONG THESE TREES WILL BE HERE.

[BEEPS]

Man on radio: AMBULANCE ONE, PLEASE RESPOND

TO AHWAHNEE MEADOW TO RECEIVE INCOMING PATIENT

VIA AIR FROM HALF DOME.

Man: SO WE’RE RESPONDING TO A MEDICAL PATIENT

ON THE SUBDOME OF HALF DOME.

THE REPORT WAS A 49-YEAR-OLD MALE WITH SEVERE CHEST PAIN.

WE’VE ORDERED OUR PARK HELICOPTER

TO LAND IN AHWAHNEE MEADOW

AND MEET WITH OUR PARK RANGER MEDICS,

WHO ARE GONNA FLY TO THE SUBDOME, LAND,

HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO JUST MOVE THE PATIENT INTO THE HELICOPTER,

AND FLY HIM BACK TO AHWAHNEE MEADOW

IN PREPARATION FOR A MEDICAL FLIGHT

TO MORE DEFINITIVE CARE.

SO WE’RE GONNA LET THE WOOD BURN DOWN.

AS THAT BURNS DOWN, WE’LL SPREAD THAT AROUND THE PAN,

AND WE’LL PUT THE CORN ON TOP OF THE WOOD.

THAT WILL ROAST THE CORN IN THE HUSK.

Boy: HEY!

Man: HOW MANY PEOPLE YOU GOT ON THE LINE?

YOU GOT 3 PEOPLE ON THE LINE?

Different man: 3 PEOPLE ON THE LINE.

ALL RIGHT.

GOT JOHNNY IN THE BACK COVERING ALL THE BANQUETS.

SAW YOUR SPECIALS EARLIER.

THEY LOOK PHENOMENAL.

THANK YOU.

LITTLE YORKSHIRE PUDDING,

VEGETABLE OF THE DAY,

AND OUR WONDERFUL PRIME RIB.

[PIANO PLAYING "AVE MARIA"]

SEE THAT THING?

YEAH. THAT THING IS SICK.

IT IS SICK.

I’M M’SO WAKALLA JONES.

WE’RE GETTING READY TO GO CLIMB CATHEDRAL PEAK.

NOW THE REAL FUN BEGINS. HA!