Yosemite - Daily Report - Yosemite National Park Friday, May 17, 2024

Yosemite National Park Zone Forecast

Today: Sunny. A 20 percent chance of thunderstorms late in the afternoon. Highs 53 to 69. Southwest winds up to 10 mph with gusts to around 25 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear. A 20 percent chance of thunderstorms in the evening. Lows 35 to 49. North winds up to 10 mph shifting to the east after midnight.
Tomorrow: Sunny in the morning, then partly sunny with a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs 51 to 65. Southeast winds up to 5 mph shifting to the west with gusts to around 25 mph in the afternoon.

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NEW & HAPPENING TODAY

Shuttle Stop Construction on Happy Isles Loop, at Lower Pines Campground

Beginning Monday, May 20, travel on Happy Isles Loop at Lower Pines Campground will be subject to one-way traffic controls using a single lane. Project site construction requires the removal of asphalt pavement and replacement with curbing and concrete surfaces.
The westbound travel lane will remain closed during excavation and construction, and for a period of time allowing the concrete to cure. The duration of work and traffic controls will be three to four weeks. (J. Donovan)

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Pole Assessments in El Portal

PGE will be performing UAS flights in El Portal for pole assessment. Flights will occur daily
May 20th through June 4th between the hours of 0800-1700 from the Waste Treatment Plant East to Crane Creek Rd/140. Thank you, direct all questions to Andrew Davenport. (A. Davenport)

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RECENT NEWS

Join us Today for an El Portal Community Meeting about Living with Bears

Time: 4 pm to 5 pm (before Sal’s)

Location: El Portal Community Hall

Bears (and other wildlife) are active in El Portal neighborhoods now. Whether you see them regularly or not, they are your neighbors. El Portal has amazing natural foods and habitat for
bears, but being around people can lead to conflicts that can harm property, people, and bears.

This meeting is an opportunity for residents to share their experiences, concerns, and ideas and to learn from experts (who also want to learn from and work with you). Together we can
promote coexistence and safety for both humans and bears.

Are you concerned about bears in your community? Do you want to help keep bears wild but don’t quite know what your part is or how to do it? Do you want to talk to Yosemite’s human-bear
management specialists about bears in your community, provide insight, ask questions, and learn? Do you just love bears and want to be around other people that do too? This meeting is for you!

NPS employees interested in participating can come on work time with supervisor approval. (C. Lee-Roney)

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Expect delays: North Side Drive between El Capitan Woodlot to Pohono Bridge

Hazardous fuel reduction is taking place on Northside Drive from El Capitan Woodlot to Pohono Bridge. This work is being conducted in preparation of prescribed fire and provide a safer place for fire fighters to work if a wildfire burns up the Merced River Canyon. The 2018 Ferguson Fire reached Cascades Falls and crossed both Wawona and Glacier Point Roads in a single run. Roads are our primary location to stop wildfires and implement prescribed fire. Personnel will be removing small trees and dead and down material. Wood will be transported to Ackerson Meadow where it will be mixed with fill as part of a massive gully restoration project will the aim of restoring one of the largest mid-elevation meadows in the Sierra Nevada. Mixing the wood with the soil sequesters the carbon and increases the water holding capacity of the soil creating a wetter, more productive meadow.

Please watch for workers and drive slowly through the work zone. Traffic holds are 15 minutes while workers remove woody material. Delays may be expected Mon-Fri, 06:00-16:00 through June 20th. Thank you for your support and understanding. (G. Dickman)
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Yosemite Forum, Tuesday, May 21 - Dr. Timothy Babalis

The next Yosemite Forum will take place on Tuesday, May 21, from 3:30-4:30 pm. (Note the special date, which deviates from our usual second-Tuesday-of-the-month schedule.) We hope to see you in-person at the Yosemite Valley Auditorium, but there will be a Teams option as well - see below for details and a link.

Environmental History of Tuolumne Meadows

By Dr. Timothy Babalis, National Park Service, Pinnacles National Park

Join Dr. Timothy Babalis for a summary and discussion of his Environmental History of Tuolumne Meadows, a study that began following observed declines in the ecological integrity of several monitoring indicators. The environmental history identifies and documents human activities that have significantly affected the ecology of Tuolumne Meadows over a broad range of time, from pre-European Indigenous land use, through early twentieth century recreational development, to present management under the National Park Service. This context is intended to provide natural scientists and resource managers with an understanding of the historic drivers that have shaped the present environment and potentially contribute to the observed conditions. (G. Stock)

This presentation will take place in-person at the Yosemite Valley Auditorium. You may also join the presentation virtually via Microsoft Teams by following this link: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_M2NjMTI3MWQtYTNiZi00MjBhLWJkMWYtMmVmNDJkZGMwZDJl%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%220693b5ba-4b18-4d7b-9341-f32f400a5494%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22ca2c5d0b-6ebd-4e7d-9ef8-3bff9c6fc8c2%22%7d
(G. Stock)
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Kudos to Valley B&G

The Medical Clinic team would like to send out a kudos for the Valley B&G team for all of their hard work with some infrastructure issues that had come up in the clinic recently. B&G is always timely to respond to work requests and they are always friendly and helpful. The B&G crew has been creative and quick to come up with some solutions to problems that could lead to serious impacts in the service level the clinic provides. Through their work, the clinic remains functional and able to provide patient care. We appreciate their hard work all they do to keep our clinic operational for residents and visitors alike! (Z. Lucas)

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FREE Silk Painting Class Next Wednesday May 22, 6pm-8pm

This kicks off the first of The Yosemite Community Wellness Programs for employees. New to Yosemite? Want to get back into art or learn a new medium? Come join a group of fellow Yosemite locals, make friends, and learn how to paint with dye on Silk! Location in Yosemite Valley, details to follow via email. (Limit 10 people)
No experience needed and all supplies are provided.
Please RSVP to [email protected] (J. Buczko)
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Glacier Point Road Open for the season

Glacier Point Road has opened for the season. Four Mile Trail remains closed. Trails leaving from Glacier Point Road are still snowy. Hikers should be prepared with appropriate gear and for route finding including cross-country navigation using GPS with map and compass for backup.

Drinking water is not yet available at Glacier Point, but vault toilets are open. (J. Trust)

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Veteran’s Meet and Greet 5/20

Come say hello to fellow Veterans, active duty, and reserve members on May 20 at the El Portal Community Hall from 1530-1730 (3:30pm-5:30pm). Bring your family! Burgers and brats provided by the Veterans ERG. (Q. Kendall)
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Studhorse Prescribed Fire - Wawona

Yosemite Fire is preparing to burn in the Studhorse units on Friday May 17th. These units are south of the Wawona Hotel and total 55 acres. Burning may continue into Saturday and may include temporary trail and area closures. Smoke may be present from the Wawona Road and the community. Fire managers work closely with Park staff and the local air pollution control districts to time the prescribed burns to coincide with favorable weather and smoke dispersion conditions. (N. Phillipe)

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Charging Stations

For the testing days below, the chargers at the specific locations will not be available for use. Rivian will mark them ‘Unavailable’ in the Rivian Mobile app so that the chargers will not be visible to drivers on the map in the mobile app.

Tuesday May 14
El Portal: 8:00 am (2 hrs)

Village Store at 9011 Village Dr: 10:00 am (2 hrs)

Ahwanee Hotel (2 locations): 1:00 pm (3 hrs)

Wednesday May 15
Yosemite Curry Village (9010 Curry Village Dr): 8:00 am (8 hrs)

Thursday May 17
Yosemite Lodge (9006 Yosemite Lodge Dr): 8:00am (8 hrs)

YH will block off the chargers on their particular testing days with cones to prevent drivers from charging along with signage referencing available chargers. We will remove the signage and cones after testing is complete to make them available again for charging. (N. Sponaugle
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Facelift Special Projects
Have you found sunken objects in the river? Abandoned gear? A honey hole of hard to reach modern trash? Let us know! The Yosemite Facelift is an annual effort dedicated to the stewardship of Yosemite National Park. The event protects natural resources and archeology through collaboration with local experts.One of our main focuses during Facelift is facilitating specialized cleanups in challenging to reach locations. Please reach out to [email protected] to let us know, we are accumulating the special projects for this years Facelift and need your input! (E. Lynch)
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Womxn’s ERG Art Night
Registration Needed! Join the Womxn’s ERG for a laid-back art night at the El Portal Community Hall on Wednesday, May 22nd! You will learn the basics of watercolor and employ them to create an iconic Yosemite landscape step-by-step. With guidance from Yosemite Conservancy instructor, Lora Spielman-Dell Isola, you’ll walk away with an understanding of simple watercolor techniques, color mixing, and your very own Yosemite masterpiece! Supplies are included and no cost to attend! Reach out to Clarice Henry if you have questions. If the class is full, please email us at [email protected] with your name and phone number to be added to the waitlist!

Limited capacity, register at: go.theflybook.com/book/752/EntityConfig/31063#/base/752/1c00460c-0c4a-49e3-a3e3-b5800aa03563/config/31063/30491/activity (C. Henry)
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Wilderness Center Operations
Wilderness will be staffing Hill’s studio and issuing permit reservations May 10-12, 8am-5pm. There will not be any wilderness coverage the following week. Self-registration will resume for Wawona and Glacier Point Road trailheads until May 17th. Wilderness staff will issue permits 7 days/week (8am-5pm) starting May 17.

Wilderness Rangers will be staffing the Big Oak Flat Wilderness Center May 11-12, 8am-5pm. There will not be any wilderness coverage the following week. Rangers will resume issuing permits full time, 7days/week 8am - 5pm starting May 17 (P. Solomon)
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Trail Crew Blasting Operations
Trail Crew is planning to perform blasting operations on the JMT trail Thursday, May 16. This section of the trail has been closed to the public due to a rock slide , and there will be no further impact to public access in the area that day other than noise. Any questions or comments, contact Greg Torres at 209-742-8811 or [email protected] (G. Torres)
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Ansel Adams Stamp Event May 15th

All park employees, partners, family, and friends are cordially invited to attend the First Day of Issue Ceremony for the Ansel Adams Forever Stamps to be held in front of the (former) Visitor Center in Yosemite Valley on Wednesday, May 15th, at 11:00 a.m. This special ceremony will feature several speakers, the official dedication of the new stamp, special guests, and a few surprises! After the ceremony, the USPS will have several items for sale in front of the Ansel Adams Gallery and Valley Post Office including sheets of the (beautiful) new stamps, first day covers, prints, etc. The event is free, no rsvp’s are required, and we look forward to seeing you all there!! (S. Gediman)

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ONGOING PROJECTS

Pole Assessments in El Portal

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Shuttle Service and Road Construction Updates in east Yosemite Valley
From now until June 3, roadways and shuttle bus stops remain under construction in Curry Village and on the Happy Isles Loop. Service is suspended at Stops 14 (Curry Village/Orchard Parking eastbound), 15 (Upper Pines), 16 (Mist Trail), 17 (Mirror Lake), 18 (Lower Pines), and 19 (Curry Village Orchard westbound). Shuttle service is terminated at Curry Village Registration. During the ongoing period of construction, Yosemite Hospitality will operate the Valley-wide – or green route – service only. The East Valley Shuttle – or purple route – is discontinued as a service line, effective today, until construction is completed. Park visitors and employees are advised to board green route buses to reach any and all destinations. Construction will be completed by June 3, when shuttle service will resume regular East Valley and Valley-wide operations. Thank you for your patience and understanding during construction. (J. Donovan)
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Shuttle Stop Construction on Happy Isles Loop, at Lower Pines Campground
Beginning Monday, May 20, travel on Happy Isles Loop at Lower Pines Campground will be subject to one-way traffic controls using a single lane. Project site construction requires the removal of asphalt pavement and replacement with curbing and concrete surfaces. The westbound travel lane will remain closed during excavation and construction, and for a period of time allowing the concrete to cure. The duration of work and traffic controls will be three to four weeks. (J. Donovan)

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Historic Preservation Crew - Post Office

The Yosemite Historic Preservation Crew will be performing stabilization work on the Yosemite Valley Post Office beginning May 6. The project will repair damaged and broken windows, repair cracks in the masonry, and perform preservation carpentry on log elements. There will be no impact on Post Office operations. Please direct all questions to Kevin Brothers ([email protected]). (K. Brothers)

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Expect delays: North Side Drive between El Capitan Woodlot to Pohono Bridge

Expect Delays: Hazardous Fuel Reduction from Bridalveil Fall to Tunnel View
Hazardous fuel reduction is taking place from Bridalveil Fall to Tunnel View. This work is being conducted in preparation of prescribed fire and provide a safer place for fire fighters to work if a wildfire burns up the Merced River Canyon like the 2018 Ferguson Fire. Personnel will be removing small trees and dead and down material. This will not only increase fire fighter safety but will also help restore a sense of arrival to Yosemite Valley. Wood will be transported to Ackerson Meadow where it will be mixed with fill as part of a massive gully restoration project will the aim of restoring one of the largest mid-elevation meadows in the Sierra Nevada. Mixing the wood with the soil sequesters the carbon and increases the water holding capacity of the soil. Please watch for workers and drive slowly through the work zone.

Traffic holds are 15 minutes while workers remove woody material. Actual wait times will be longer as traffic clears through one lane at a time. Delays should be expected Mon-Fri, 06:00-16:00 through May 17th. Thank you for your support and understanding. (G. Dickman)
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Caltrans Announces Improvement Project on State Route 140: Cathey’s Valley to Mariposa
On Monday, April 29, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will begin a maintenance project to improve State Route 140 (SR-140) between Cathey’s Valley and the town of Mariposa. Work will include pavement preservation with hot-mix asphalt, and removal and installation of guardrails, culverts, dikes, shoulder backing, signage, and corner curb ramps at seven intersections. Crews will work night shifts for approximately 170 working days, Sunday through Thursday, with alternating lane closures on eastbound and westbound SR-140. Project completion is expected in December 2024. The contractor’s work schedule is subject to change due to traffic incidents, weather, availability of equipment and materials, and construction-related issues. Please drive carefully and watch for laborers and equipment in roadways. (J. Donovan)
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Valley Forestry Through May
Valley Forestry will be performing residential tree trimming and hazard removal in Old El Portal, Rancheria and Yosemite Valley through the end of May. Workers will be entering yards for tree inspection and trimming. Email [email protected] for more information or work requests. (B. See)
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Wawona Hotel Roof Replacement Project
The Wawona re-roofing project is underway and the Contractor, Southwest Property Management, continues to work at the hotel phasing demolition and reroofing in sections progressively. Without unforeseen discoveries, the completion should occur in the fall of this year. Contact Steve Dunakoskie, YOSE SPPM Project Manager, for more information. (S. Dunakoskie)
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Dispatch Expansion Project
The Dispatch Expansion project is converting most of the El Portal Warehouse lobby into additional office space for the Emergency Communications (Dispatch) Center. The lobby stairs are no longer walled off, but the stairwell and adjacent entrance will periodically need to be temporarily closed as work dictates. When the stairs and entryway are blocked off, Warehouse occupants and visitors will need to use alternate means of ingress/egress. Do not enter through the RMS building unless you work there. To access the Dispatch office area, follow the signs in through the Trails area door just inside the fence/gate. Contact Alyssa Sharp, YOSE Project Manager, for more information. (