Riding With Ranger Tomas

Polly woke up on the shuttle railing as the sun came up. A man in a brown uniform was unlocking a small office across the lot. His name patch said T. RODRIGUEZ. He looked at her and smiled. "You can ride with me," he said.

Polly se probudila na zábradlí autobusu, když vyšlo slunce. Muž v hnědé uniformě odemykal malou kancelář přes parkoviště. Na jmenovce měl napsáno T. RODRIGUEZ. Podíval se na ni a usmál se. "Můžeš jet se mnou," řekl.

That was how Polly spent the morning in a ranger's truck.

Tak strávila Polly dopoledne v rangerově autě.

Tomas had been a Yosemite ranger for fourteen years. He had coffee in a Thermos, a clipboard, and a radio that crackled. He drove slowly. He stopped often.

Tomáš byl rangerem v Yosemitech čtrnáct let. Měl kávu v termosce, desky s papíry a rádio, které praskalo. Jel pomalu. Často zastavoval.

The first stop was a wet meadow. Tomas walked into the grass and looked for signs that bears had been there. "In June, corn lilies grow here," he said. "Bears love them. We mark the meadows where they feed."

První zastávka byla na mokré louce. Tomáš vešel do trávy a hledal známky, že tam byli medvědi. "V červnu tu rostou kukuřičné lilie," řekl. "Medvědi je milují. Označujeme louky, kde se krmí."

Polly hopped to the open truck window. The corn lilies were not up yet. They were just small green spears.

Polly vyskočila k otevřenému oknu auta. Kukuřičné lilie ještě nevykvetly. Byly to jen malé zelené výhonky.

The road climbed. The air cooled. At a switchback, Tomas stopped and pointed. A peregrine falcon was sitting on a rock. Polly's red head tilted. The falcon looked at them, then dropped off the rock and was gone in less than a second.

Silnice stoupala. Vzduch se ochladil. Na serpentině Tomáš zastavil a ukázal. Na skále seděl sokol stěhovavý. Polly naklonila svou červenou hlavu. Sokol se na ně podíval, pak se vrhl dolů ze skály a během vteřiny zmizel.

"They nest on the cliffs," Tomas said. "We have six pairs in the valley this year."

"Hnízdí na útesech," řekl Tomáš. "Letos máme v údolí šest párů."

Polly watched how the falcon had folded its wings. She wanted to try that drop herself. Maybe tomorrow.

Polly sledovala, jak sokol složil křídla. Chtěla si ten pád sama vyzkoušet. Možná zítra.

At the next stop, Tomas walked into the woods alone. He came back with a metal cylinder. "Bear-proof food locker someone tried to bury," he said. He put it in the truck bed.

Na další zastávce Tomáš vešel do lesa sám. Vrátil se s kovovým válcem. "Medvědí schránka na jídlo, kterou se někdo pokusil zakopat," řekl. Položil ji na korbu auta.

At noon they came to Olmsted Point. The high country opened in front of them. Tenaya Lake far below. Half Dome from behind. Grey peaks fading into haze.

V poledne dorazili na Olmsted Point. Vysoká krajina se před nimi otevřela. Tenaya Lake daleko dole. Half Dome zezadu. Šedé vrcholy mizící v oparu.

"This," Tomas said, "is the part most people drive past." He poured coffee into the lid of his Thermos and set it on the dashboard next to Polly. "Stay a while."

"Tohle," řekl Tomáš, "je část, kterou většina lidí projíždí." Nalil kávu do víčka termosky a položil ji na palubní desku vedle Polly. "Zůstaň chvíli."