Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion The Yosemite Pizza Bribery Caper

Bee, SteveC & I returned from the WhitneyPortalStoreMessageBoard group hike on Sunday morning.

We left Lone Pine early, and arrived at the Whoa Nellie Deli at 9ish so that Bee could get a slice of pizza.

It was way early for slices, so Bee sweet-talked them into making us an entire pizza.

We had to wait 20 minutes, but made up for that by eating on the go.

So we landed at the Tioga gate with the Old Dude Pass, & pizza between Steve & Bee on the front console.

Rangerette at the booth spotted it & breathed out Pizzaaaaaaa!!!???

We asked her if she would like a slice & she grabbed a newspaper & held it reverently forward.

And allowed us to pass through.

So, does hot pizza at 10ish in the morning at ca. 9900 feet constitute federal employee bribery or an illegal gratuity?


WND Pizza headed for Tioga Pass


WPSMBGH: http://www.whitneyportalstore.com/forum/...e=1&fpart=1

That is hilarious.I'll visit you all in the Federal Pen.

I can still see the ranger lady, standing there in her cold kiosk, answering the same questions, taking passes, etc. Then our car pulled up, and as the window rolled down, the aroma of our still warm pizza must have completely overwhelmed her.

I remember her face -- the blank, longing gaze. And all she said was, "You have pizza...."

So then we asked, "You want some?"

I guess she answered, but I just remember her extending the park newspaper held between two hands. I thought she was handing it to me, so I said, "No, we don't need a paper, we're just driving through."

To which she answered, "No no, it's for the pizza!"

I pulled off a big slice and laid it on her newspaper.

We pulled away, bursting with laughter. I'm not sure, but I think we made her day.

I'm about to nuke the last slice for breakfast (the other "Breakfast of Champions").

Will I be destroying evidence?.

I could go for a slice of that pizza right now. That is such a great story.Who drives around with a Breakfast pizza?

who doesn't know about the Whoa Nellie ?!? James (trucker) and I stopped for our usual (before noon, it is always an omelette), and that was the cause of us failing on Cathedral peak on our way home Sunday. I claimed it was cloudy and cold by 11:30 when we arrived at Tenaya lake, but really, I was just bloated! We never got out of the car...

I met Steve a few times off and on over the weekend. I had the pleasure of holding Bee's hand the last few steps to the summit. Unfortunately I didn't meet a Wagga, whatever that is! Hopefully, next time.

Oh, and the pizza for breakfast sounds great, actually.