Daily Report - Yosemite National Park Friday January 13th, 2017

Daily Report – Yosemite National Park

Half Dome and El Capitan, Yosemite 1/13/17

Friday January 13th, 2017

Yosemite National Park Zone Forecast

Today: Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of snow. Breezy. Highs 38 to 44 at 5000 feet…28 to 34 at 8000 feet. Northeast winds around 25 mph in the morning. Gusts up to 40 mph. Over higher elevations…east winds around 25 mph with gusts to around 45 mph.

Tonight: Mostly clear. Near the crest…a 20 percent chance of snow in the evening. Little or no snow accumulation. Lows 23 to 33 at 5000 feet…14 to 24 at 8000 feet.

Tomorrow: Mostly sunny. Not as cool. Highs 43 to 49 at 5000 feet…35 to 43 at 8000 feet.

Additional Point Forecast Weather Links:

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NEW AND HAPPENING TODAY

Yosemite Ski & Snowboard Area Opens Saturday

Correction: Nordic Center will not open Friday, January 13 as previously stated.

Yosemite Ski & Snowboard Area, including the Nordic Center, will open on Saturday, January 14. Snow Tubing and the Terrain Park will open at a later date. The Day Lodge, rentals and food service will all open at 8:30 a.m.on Saturday. Lifts are open 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. There is a courtesy shuttle offered daily to and from Yosemite Valley lodges and the Yosemite Ski & Snowboard Area that will start on Saturday. View pricing and hotel ski packages at www.TravelYosemite.com. (L. Cesaro)

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“Eat, Drink And Be Giving” Speakeasy Event Saturday, January 14

Please come support the students of the Yosemite Valley School by attending Saturday’s Speakeasy Fundraiser at the Majestic Hotel from 5 to 8 pm.

This is a 1920’s themed, adult only cocktail event that includes hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction, friendly gaming & a DJ. The price has dropped to $25 per person (the pre-New-Year price – this includes 2 drink tickets). For locals who may have been “on the fence”… please reconsider and join your community of friends, neighbors and work colleagues in support of our local children.

Furthermore, this is the only event scheduled for the school this year so please, please, please join in! Tickets can be purchased at the door or by going to https://squareup.com/store/yosemite-valley-school-ptg

Childcare is available through the YCCC, call 372-4819 for more information. (C. Archer)

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Request For Flood Photo And Video Documentation

The Yosemite Archives seeks pictures or videos documenting the recent park flooding event. The Yosemite Archives is required to preserve records created by federal employees and these images/videos should be in the public domain. Please include metadata (who, what, why, where and when). This makes the files much more valuable and searchable.

If you work in Yosemite Valley, place the images at U:\Valley Commons\2017 Flood Event. If you work anywhere else in the park, place the images at U:\EP Commons\2017 Flood Event. Each person who provides images should create their own folder within one of these locations. Please label it with your name and branch/division, in case the Yosemite Archives staff has follow-up questions and needs to reach you.

Non-NPS staff should send an email to Paul_Rogers@nps.gov so the Yosemite Archives staff can follow-up to obtain a release.

For more information contact Paul Rogers at Paul_Rogers@nps.gov. Your participation is greatly appreciated! (P. Rogers)

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RECENT NEWS

Shauna Potocky’s Farewell Party January 19

Come say farewell to Shauna Potocky as she heads to her new position in Kenai Fjords NP, Alaska. Please join in to say congratulations and farewell on Thursday, January 19th at the Valley Auditorium from 4:00 to 6:00 PM. Appetizers welcome, cake and coffee provided. More details will follow. Save the date and please help spread the word. (C. Raines)

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Ice Rink Closed Temporarily

The Half Dome Village Ice Rink is temporarily closed due to conditions resulting from the recent storm. We will post information for the ice rink’s reopening date once available at www.TravelYosemite.com. (L. Cesaro)

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El Portal Road (Highway 140) Into Yosemite National Park Has Reopened – News Release January 11, 2017

Hetch Hetchy Road has also reopened

The El Portal Road (Highway 140) into Yosemite National Park has reopened to all vehicular traffic. The road is open and clear, yet visitors are asked to not stop along the road enroute to Yosemite Valley. The road may close again at any time in the event of hazardous driving conditions.

The Hetch Hetchy Road has reopened to all vehicular traffic.

All overnight lodging and food services have reopened. Campgrounds in Yosemite Valley are open as well.

Park visitors are asked to be aware of hazards, including potential wet and icy road conditions, rockfall, and debris in roadways. Visitors should always carry tire chains and chain control can be implemented at any time. The park has experienced significant rainfall over the past month and ground saturation could lead to hazardous conditions along park roadways.

For updated 24-hour road and weather conditions for Yosemite National Park, please call 209-372-0200 and press 1. Updated information is also available on the park’s website at www.nps.gov/yose. (J. Richards)

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Please Sign Up For The Newly Activated RapidNotify System for Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park has activated RapidNotify to send out emergency alerts to Yosemite residents and employees. RapidNotify can send out these emergency messages through email, text, and voice messages. If you would like to receive Yosemite specific emergency messages to your non-government email accounts and phone numbers, register at http://www.rapidnotify.com/customer/Yosemite.html. Doing so will allow you to receive alerts even when you are out of the area and off duty. Remember that during emergencies, power outages affect your ability to receive emergency messages and you should always use your best judgment to keep yourself safe. (A. Kunz)

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El Portal Road (Highway 140) Into Yosemite National Park Has Reopened – News Release January 10, 2017
Road to close tonight at 6:00 p.m. due to weather and rockfall concerns

(Note added, this 6pm closure referred to Tuesday 1/10/17 evening)

The El Portal Road (Highway 140) into Yosemite National Park has reopened to all traffic following a rockfall that occurred during early Sunday morning. The road is anticipated to stay open, with controlled traffic, throughout the day. However, the road will close this evening at 6:00 p.m. to all vehicular traffic based on weather and rockfall concerns. The park will evaluate road and weather conditions early tomorrow morning and assess whether or not the road can be reopened. There is currently rain and snow falling in Yosemite National Park and continued precipitation is forecast over the next several days.

Visitor access to Yosemite Valley via the Big Oak Flat Road (Highway 120) and the Wawona Road (Highway 41) is currently open. Visitors should always carry tire chains and chain control can be implemented at any time. The Hetch Hetchy Road remains closed due to a rockfall.

Visitors should be aware that there will be limited visitor services inside Yosemite Valley today, Tuesday January 10, 2017, and plan accordingly. Overnight accommodations and commercial services operated by the park concessioner are slated to fully reopen tomorrow, Wednesday January 11, 2017. Campgrounds in Yosemite Valley are open.

The Merced River in Yosemite Valley reached flood stage at Pohono Bridge (above 10 feet) Sunday afternoon. The river peaked at 12.7 feet at 4:00 a.m. on Monday, January 9, 2017. Although there was no major flooding, park roads and infrastructure (water systems, sewer systems, etc.) and visitor facilities were impacted. The park is currently assessing the impacts and will address any repair needs in the coming days and weeks.

Park visitors are asked to be aware of hazards, including potential wet and icy road conditions, rockfall, and debris in roadways. The park has experienced significant rainfall over the past month and ground saturation could lead to hazardous conditions along park roadways.

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Hetch Hetchy Road Closure

Hetch Hetchy had a significant rock/mudslide in the same area where there was a previous rock slide last year near the lower housing area. The area is closed and HHWP is bringing barricades again so no vehicle traffic can travel through. HHWP road crews are going to wait until the area is more stable to clear the slide as water is still flowing through it. This could possibly happen after the next series of storms pass.

Hetch Hetchy Road was closed throughout Monday and possibly closed Tuesday as the roadway is experiencing flooding with debris. Mission essential admin traffic is permitted at this time. The trail is also experiencing heavy flooding along with Wapama Foot Bridge. (G. Bias)

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Valley Forestry Work in Valley Campgrounds and Rangers Club Areas

Valley Forestry will be running a split crew to comple the removal of the black oak at Rangers Club with 4 people available to assist other projects and staged at at Lower Pines Camp falling dead pines. (J. Ivey)

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Yosemite Medical Clinic Holiday Closure

Yosemite Medical Clinic will be closed Monday, January 16 in observance of the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. As usual, ambulance response will be available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week by calling 911. (C. Griffin)

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El Portal, Rancheria Residents

Please be aware of mountain lion activity in upper Rancheria housing this week. (R.Mazur)

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New Family Member in Buildings and Grounds

Buildings and Grounds would like to congratulate Wayne and Sarah Winterstrom and welcome Tobias Winterstrom born 1/3/2017. He weighed 7 pounds 5 ounces and is 20 inches long! (C. Mitchell)

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Request for binders

Anybody looking to get rid of 1/2″ white binders? Maybe your department has a few sitting in the mezzanine or a storage unit? If so, please email heather_bromberg@nps.gov if you have some to spare. She is in need of 40 and any contribution would be helpful. (H. Bromberg)

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CONSTRUCTION & TRAFFIC DELAYS

Yosemite Valley Traffic Detour

Northside Drive and Southside Drive west of Sentinel Drive are back to one-way traffic. Sentinel Drive is open to two-way traffic.Northside Drive and Southside Drive east of Sentinel Drive are open for two-way traffic. Maps are available at:

Yosemite National Park website- https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/roadwork.htm

Yosemite Sharepoint (internal only)-http://sharepoint.yose.nps.gov/SitePages/Parking%20and%20Road%20Improvements.aspx (L. Acree)

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Cook’s Meadow Boardwalk

The Trails Crew has started preparing on-sight to replace the deck material on Cook’s boardwalk. Work typically is being performed Monday-Thursday, during which time the boardwalk will be closed to visitors. When crews are not working, the boardwalk will be left so visitors can safely use the boardwalk. This should take 3-4 weeks depending on weather and other emergencies. (A. Shapiro)

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Parkwide Communication Data Network (CDN):

During the next five weeks (Dec 23rd through Jan 20th) Abide International (Contractor) will be installing radio equipment in shelters and aligning microwave dishes on towers at eleven locations throughout the park. This is part of the last phase of the Parkwide Communication Data Network (CDN) project, which started in the Fall 2010, with the construction of communication towers and shelters. Yosemite’s CDN system will replace the dated/unreliable communication infrastructure (wires which run through park/wilderness areas), which dates to the 1950s, with a modern wireless system to support high speed data services and emergency communications for Yosemite National Park. Staging of the microwave equipment is at Old El Portal parking lot. Project is scheduled to be complete by January 20, 2017(weather permitting). (D. Engelstad)

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Emergency Services Complex:

Construction continues. Structural retrofit is nearly done. Most of the site grading, drainage improvements, utilities, and paving is done. Work on the interior electrical, mechanical, plumbing, fire suppression, and fire alarms continue, as well as the remaining structural work. Finish work will begin soon. Completion is expected in winter 2017. (K. White)

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ACTING DESIGNATIONS

Dave Henderson will be acting Hetch Hetchy Program Manager and Yosemite Conservancy Liaison until January 16. He can be reached at 372-0600 or 372-0238.

Rick Hall will be acting Branch Chief of Design & Engineering until January 17. He can be reached at379-1277.

Ryan Leahy will be acting Program Manager For Human-Wildlife Conflicts until February 13. He can be reached at 372-0476.

Parker Davis will be acting Fee and Revenue Branch Chief until the end of February. He can be reached at 372-0406 or Parker_Davis@nps.gov

Michael Liang will be acting Branch Chief for Creative Media (formerly Interpretive Services) through February 2017. He can be reached at 372-0643.

Rebecca Lund will be acting Deputy Fee Manager through February 2017. She can be reached at 372-0207.

Sally Kintner will be acting Volunteer Program Manager until April 15. She can be reached at 379-1850.

Sheri Ogden will be acting Division Chief of BRM until further notice. She can be reached at 372-0316.

Ron Gaunt will be acting Division Chief of Project Management until further notice. He can be reached at 379-1027.

Sabrina Diaz will be acting Chief of Interpretation & Education until further notice. She can be reached at 372-0291 or 347-0113.

R. Brad Lewis will be acting Branch Chief of Design and Construction for Project Management until further notice. He can be reached at 379-1006.

Billy Bryan will be acting Concessions Management Branch Chief until further notice. He can be reached at 372-0272 or william_bryan@nps.gov.

Garrett Dickman will be acting Park Botanist until further notice. He can be reached at 379-3282.

Daily Report – Yosemite National Park Friday January 13th, 2017