For some, it's a summertime goldmine. For others, it's an oasis. But for thousands of motorists bound for Yosemite's high country, the Crane Flat gas station is the gateway to Tioga Road.

"Our business is extremely seasonal," says Jim Webb, 46, grocery manager and buyer for Delaware North Companies, the Yosemite National Park concessionaire that runs the store. "In the summer, everything is bustling. The parking lot is packed. We're open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and we'll use seven to nine employees. But once the road closes, we're open 9 to 5 and only need one person. In the winter, we might go an hour between customers."

The store, just outside the gate to Tioga Road, is where travelers stop to purchase cold drinks, stock up on food and buy things they forgot to bring, such as sunblock and camping supplies. It's also a good place to find free information.

"People want to know if there is anywhere to eat on Tioga Road," says cashier Candy Moody, 49, who has worked at the store for five years. "They also want to know what they can do and see around here. I tell them about the sequoias in Tuolumne Grove [off Tioga Road not far from the store]."

While humans keep the cash register humming, they aren't the only ones who visit the store. One year, a squirrel tried to turn the place into a per- sonal cafeteria and had to be trapped and transported to another part of the park. The store also has a pair of ra- vens that live there. "I call them Miss and Chief," Moody says. "We don't feed them, but they're always around."

The ravens live on roadkill and other food that falls to the ground around the store. They can become annoying when snowflakes fill the air and tourists disappear.

"That's when I hear the tap- tap-tapping," Moody says. "They start pecking on the glass."

The lonely ravens contribute to the winter mood that sets in once snow drops a quiet blanket over Tioga Road. Snowplow drivers stop for coffee and residents pop in for milk. Other- wise, all is still. If a blizzard sweeps into Crane Flat, Webb may telephone Moody and tell her to go home early — before the store gets snowbound.