Daily Report – Yosemite National Park
Wednesday, October 25, 2023
Yosemite National Park Zone Forecast 
Today: Mostly sunny in the morning, then slight chance of rain early in the afternoon. Mostly cloudy with chance of rain and snow late in the afternoon.
Tonight: Colder. Patchy blowing dust in the evening. Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of rain and snow. Snow may be heavy at times. Lows 20 to 32. Southwest winds 5 to 15 mph with gusts to around 60 mph.
Tomorrow: Sunny. Highs 36 to 50. Southeast winds up to 10 mph with gusts to around 40 mph shifting to the southwest in the afternoon.
Additional Point Forecast Weather Links:
Yosemite Valley | Wawona | Tuolumne Meadows | Glacier Point | Big Oak Flat | Hetch Hetchy | El Portal | Mariposa | Badger Pass
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NEW & HAPPENING TODAY
Daily Report Technical Difficulties
The Daily Report is experiencing technical difficulties with sending to personal email addresses. We are working to resolve the issue with IT. Thank you for your patience. (S. Miyako)
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Prescribed Fire Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Fire crews are planning to conduct prescribed burning operations on Thursday, Oct 26 with a focus on the YV-10W unit in Yosemite Valley. This unit is located near El Capitan Crossover and is approximately 30 acres. There will be a one lane traffic closure on Southside Drive as well as a parking area closure of El Capitan Crossover. (N. Phillipe)
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PG&E work in Wawona
PG&E will be installing two new electrical poles in the Wawona area on October 27: one near the Wawona Hotel and another near a transformer on Gordon Way. (A. Kunz)
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El Portal Diesel Out of Service
El Portal diesel fuel is currently out of service, we are working to restore it as soon as possible. (C. Layman)
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Campground Update
Hodgdon Meadow and Wawona campgrounds are now first come, first served for the winter. The group site at Wawona remains open and on reservations year-round. Hodgdon group sites are closed for the winter.
North Pines campground will close for the season at noon on Monday, October 30.
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NPS Warehouse closed October 31
FYI the warehouse, the Property Office, and Mail will be closed on Tuesday October 31st from 8AM – 2PM for an admin meeting, please plan accordingly, as there will be no staff available to assist you during that timeframe. (L. Perez)
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Yosemite Conservancy presents the free annual Cemetery Tours October 31
Do you dare explore Yosemite’s cemetery on Halloween night? Join us on a free walking tour where you will discover the graves and living history stories of inspiring figures from Yosemite’s past. The tales will begin by fireside and continue into the night. Please bring warm layers and curiosities.
Programs are open to the public and free for everyone to join. Meet at the firepit in front of the Indian Museum. There will be two walks at 7 pm & 8 pm. Costumes are welcomed! (C. Goehring)
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Valley Forestry October 26 and October 30
Valley Forestry will be performing tree work on South Side Drive between Pahono Bridge and Fern Springs from 0800-1630. Traffic control will be in place with occasional delays of 20 minutes possible. Thank you for your patience. (B. See)
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RECENT NEWS
Happy Isles Art & Nature Center Closing For The Season
The last day for Happy Isles Art & Nature Center will be Friday 10/27, open from 9am to 4pm. (L. Spielman)
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Yosemite Mentoring Program now accepting applications for 2024!
The Yosemite Mentoring Program provides valuable opportunities for setting and achieving goals through a year-long facilitated mentoring relationship. Participants will attend monthly professional development sessions from January 2024 through fall 2024.
The Yosemite Mentor Program is now available to all employees with supervisor approval. Is your season ending soon? Include your personal email address in your application – if you’re committed to continuing to build your networks and professional skills during your off-season, we’d love to include you in the cohort.
Applications are being accepted now through Friday, December 1. (T. Plock)
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Campground Cleanup, Saturday 11/4 – Volunteers Needed!
We are looking for 10-15 volunteers to help clean out ash pits, pick up litter, trim overgrown bushes, rearrange tables/ashpits, and move half-round parking barriers in Lower and North Pines. This volunteer event will take place between 9am and 3pm (with a 30-minute lunch). Volunteers will meet park staff in North Pines at 9am. If you would like to sign up, please fill out the following form: https://forms.office.com/g/fw7nfURjUM. Please fill out form by Thursday, 10/26. Folks who signed up will receive group confirmation packet via email one week before project start date. If you have any questions, please email yose_volunteers@nps.gov. (YOSE Volunteers)
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Halloween Parade
After a few year hiatus from the Halloween parade, we are excited to not only resume this fun tradition but the daycare and school are joining forces and parading together. Next Tuesday, October 31, 2023, we will leave the neighborhood at 10:00am and parade through the community. If you would like us to stop by your place of work, please let us know by calling the school at 372-4791. Thank you for supporting the children of Yosemite Valley with this time-honored, ‘“spooktacular” tradition. (C. DeCecco)
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Home for Rent in Sky Ranch
2,500 sq ft 3BR/3BA house on 2 acres in the Sierra Sky Ranch neighborhood of Oakhurst (Road 632). Minutes to Bass Lake and Yosemite. 2-car garage and plenty of extra parking, $1975 per month available Nov 1-April 30 (6 month lease). Washer/dryer, mostly furnished.1st and last month’s rent + security deposit. For more details or to set up a showing please email info@symg.com (M. Fiori)
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Apartment for rent
Very large, partially divided and newly remodeled studio apartment for rent in Midpines. Full kitchen, bathroom, and laundry in-unit. Large, shared property with big views. Some pets allowed. $1050 month to month rent, utilities are included. (916)251-6090 (M. Swedelson)
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Loft-style apartment for rent in a gated community in Oakhurst
1 bd, 1 ba 770 sqft
$1,200 a month. $1,200 deposit
Available Nov. 1st
See the listing on Zillow
Contact via email: kateyrental@gmail.com
About the place: You are greeted by an open and airy living room with clean hardwood floors and high ceilings. Fireplace, central AC/heat, full kitchen with pantry, updated appliances and brand new refrigerator. Extra storage space under the stairs. The second floor loft/bedroom (and staircase) is carpeted, has a walk-in closet, an extra coat closet and full bath. All this in a gated community with a pool, laundry room and 2 assigned parking spaces (1 space is covered). Conveniently located with easy access to local shops, restaurants and Oakhurst park. (K. Ybarra)
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Happy Halloween! Help Us Protect Wildlife
In preparation for hibernation, each fall bears eat up to 20,000 calories every day – that’s like eating nine large cheese pizzas, about 35 medium bean and cheese burritos, or 93 Snicker’s bars every single day! In terms of a bear’s natural diet, that’s more than 11 pounds of acorns, or 100 pounds of berries.
Bears looking for food, particularly this time of year, can be attracted to residential areas by many natural food sources (acorns, fruit, wasp nests) and if resident’s food and/or attractants are not properly stored, they’ll take advantage of that too. Bears exposed to human food, or just used to being in residential areas can quickly become food conditioned (meaning they’ve learned to associate people or development with food), or habituated (in which they lose their natural fear of people, often getting dangerously close to people or homes). They may even start entering homes for food…which can quickly become dangerous for residents and bears alike.
Residents and visitors alike need to be especially vigilant in keeping their food secure from bears this time of year. Please be aware that pet food, open windows or doors in unattended buildings, overflowing trash and recycling, kitchen compost heaps, bird feeders and any other food or attractants left out can lead bears to change their foraging habits and behaviors.
Halloween Bear Reminder – Pumpkins and CandyPumpkins are food! In recent years, bears in Yosemite have eaten pumpkins off of people’s porches! Please help by keeping your pumpkins inside your home or by getting fake reusable pumpkins to decorate the outside of your home (keeping the real ones indoors). Please do not leave out bowls of unattended candy on Halloween for trick-or-treaters. If you won’t be home but still want to leave a treat for the kids, please look into fun treats that aren’t food that you can safely leave out while also protecting wildlife. (C. Lee-Roney)
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Fight the Flu Friday
YMC is partnering with Mariposa County Health and Human Services Agency to provide free flu vaccine during the next few Fridays from 9am – 12 noon and 1 – 3pm until the limited doses run out.
The free flu vaccine supplied by the county is first come, first served and no appointment needed.
The patient should bring an ID that shows date of birth. The county vaccine is approved for use in persons aged 6 months and older.
For 65 and older, the Clinic provides high potent flu vaccine with fee. Please check with your insurance or pay out of pocket. (S. Webb)
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West-side of Camp 4 Closing
The west-side (sites 1-36) of Camp 4 will close for the season at noon on Monday, October 30. (E. Bissmeyer)
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Request Volunteer Group Work in 2024
Need to get stuff done next year? Never quite through your to-do list? Want a little help from some devoted, service-minded folks? If you need or have ideas for working with a group of Volunteers-in-Parks in 2024, please fill out the following form to request assistance: https://forms.office.com/g/vhtULcit5d
If you can’t yet imagine this, give the Volunteer Program Office a shout at yose_volunteers@nps.gov. They would love to help you envision how volunteers can help you meet your goals in 2024. (J. Garcia)
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ONGOING PROJECTS
Mariposa Grove Road Closure for Culvert Replacement (October 16-27):
The Mariposa Grove Road will be closed to all pedestrian and vehicular traffic Monday October 16th thru October 27th to complete road repairs. The Grove Shuttle will not be running. However, Mariposa Grove will remain open to pedestrian traffic, via the Washburn trail which you can connect with at the far back end of the South Entrance parking lot. M. Pieper (209) 200-1131 (M. Pieper)
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Mariposa Grove Road Hazardous Fuel Removal
Tribal crews and contractors are removing hazardous fuels along the Mariposa Grove Road from the South entrance to the lower grove welcome plaza. Removing hazardous fuels in the form of small trees and logs will support fire fighters to implement planned prescribed fires that will ultimately lead to better protection of the Mariposa Grove from high severity fires. Delays up to 15 minutes may be expected. Please slow down and watch for workers along the road. Contact garrett_dickman@nps.gov with any questions. (G. Dickman)
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Yosemite Valley Shuttle Bus Stop Improvements
The NPS contractor continues site demolition and preparation in Curry Village (Orchard Parking) and at Upper Pines and Lower Pines campground stops on the Happy Isles Loop. Work sites are being prepared for paving. Disruption and delays in traffic circulation are to be expected. The contractor is authorized to conduct traffic control operations Monday through Thursday. This work will continue until mid-December, weather permitting. (J. Donovan)
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Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment
Due to high consumer demand, delivery of required electronic components is delayed, preventing the activation of electric vehicle supply equipment in Wawona, west Curry Village, and the Yosemite Falls Parking Area. EV charging stations are online and available to park visitors at Yosemite Valley Lodge, the Yosemite Valley Welcome Center, the Ahwahnee Hotel, in Tuolumne Meadows, and in El Portal between the market and gas station. (J. Donovan)
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Ackerson Meadow Restoration Project
The long-planned Ackerson Meadow Restoration Project, on Evergreen Road, is set to begin. Be aware of potential truck traffic in the area between August 14 and October 31.
The project goal is to eliminate excessive soil erosion, slow water loss, and reverse loss of water-loving plants and animals, and impacts to endangered species. To do this, a contractor will completely fill the century-old human-caused erosion gully that is now more than 3 miles long, and up to 14 feet deep by 100 feet wide. Revegetation of the area will be completed using more than 425,000 wetland container plants and 700 pounds of native plant seeds. This project is planned for completion in spring 2025, and is a partnership of American Rivers, Stanislaus National Forest, Yosemite Conservancy, and Yosemite National Park. Learn more: https://go.nps.gov/ackerson. For questions, contact tim_kuhn@nps.gov. (T. Kuhn)
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Glacier Point Road Delays
Crews are continuing rehabilitation of the Glacier Point Road between Wawona Road junction (Chinquapin) and Glacier Point. The Crews will be working Monday thru Friday from 6AM to 6PM with alternating one-way traffic control and up to 30-minute delays. Delays should be diminishing as work progresses over the next couple of months; however, please expect delays thru November. Please contact Michael Pieper, with any questions or concerns at (209) 200-1131. (M. Peiper)
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Tioga Road Delays
Crews are continuing to complete intermittent road repairs on the Tioga Road between Tamarack Flat Campground entrance road and Little Blue Slide. Over the next couple of months there will be multiple crews working at various locations along the Tioga Road corridor. The Crews will be working Monday thru Friday, from 6AM to 6PM with alternating one-way traffic control and up to 15-minute delays. These Tioga Road delays will continue thru November. Please contact Michael Pieper, with any questions or concerns at (209) 200-1131. (M. Peiper)
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Mist Trail Repair July 10th – November 2nd
The Lower Mist Trail – from the John Muir Trail (JMT) junction (just uphill from the Vernal Fall Footbridge) to the top of Vernal Fall – will be closed Monday -Thursday between 7:00am and 3:30pm.
The trail will remain open on weekends. It is expected to be open overnight, however there may be certain days when trail crew is not able to make it safe to open overnight. In that case, the gates will remain closed, and signs will be posted at the two closure gates that the trail is closed.
Hikers and backpackers headed to Little Yosemite Valley, Half Dome, and points beyond from the trailhead at Happy Isles may hike uphill on the Mist Trail if they reach the Mist Trail/JMT junction by 7:00am, Monday through Friday. Otherwise, they must hike the JMT. (W. Weaver)
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The Merced Grove is Closed for Restoration
Giant sequoias are adapted to frequent, low-intensity fire and depend on fire for reproduction. Frequent fires reduce fire intensity by thinning the forest of small and unhealthy trees and reducing the accumulation of dead branches and trees. But over the past century, fires were suppressed, and drought and insects killed millions of trees in Yosemite. In the Merced Grove, there is limited sequoia regeneration and fuel loading has increased to dangerous levels. Currently, we cannot safely introduce fire without first mechanically removing fuels first. Since 2020, wildfires have killed almost 20% of mature giant sequoias across their range due to extreme fuel loading, and we aim to prevent that outcome in the Merced Grove. Therefore, we are removing small diameter conifers, trees posing a hazard to firefighters and containment lines, and dead and downed wood to reduce wildfire risk to the sequoias and firefighters as preparation for the first prescribed fire in and around the grove. The grove will be closed for 2.5 months during the restoration for visitor and worker safety. Please contact garrett_dickman@nps.gov with questions or for access. (G. Dickman)
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Dispatch Expansion Project
The Dispatch Expansion project is converting most of the El Portal Warehouse lobby into office space for the Emergency Communications (Dispatch) Center. The lobby elevator is off-limits except in case of emergency. The lobby stairs are still blocked off and the rest of the lobby area is closed unless you are involved with the project. Warehouse occupants and visitors need to use alternate means of ingress/egress until the re-construction of the stairs is finished. 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. Apologies for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience. Contact Nicole Belle Isle, Project Manager, for more information. (N. Belle Isle)
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Sugar Pine Floodplain Restoration Through November 10
The Vegetation and Ecological Restoration Branch will be conducting restoration work in the floodplain south of Sugar Pine Bridge from August 14 to November 10. This project will excavate fill from historic channels to reactivate the floodplain, provide habitat for aquatic wildlife and plants, and restore natural hydrology. This project is a recommended action from the Merced Wild and Scenic River Management Plan to mitigate the effects of the historic but undersized Sugar Pine Bridge on the Merced River. Earth moving machinery, including excavators and dump trucks, will be operating in this area. Please ask that the public stay out of this area for their safety. To learn more about Merced River restoration visit: https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/nature/mercedriverrestoration.htm (A. Puchkoff)
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Y8 Fuel Station Down
The Y8 gas station is currently down. For gas needs in the meantime, please call the garage from 8 am – 5 pm, 7 days a week at 209-372-1060 to schedule a fill until further notice. We’ll update when the station is back up and running. (C. Layman)
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Valley Shuttle Construction Impacts
Valley Shuttle stops 19, 4 and 2 are out of service due to construction. (C. Layman)
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Road work on Wawona and Glacier Point Road
Park Forestry crews will be working on Hwy 41 Wawona Road South of Chinquapin through the end of October. Crews will also be working along Glacier Point Road intermittently through the end of October. Anticipate 15 minute delays, and please keep speeds slow while traveling through the work zone. Thanks for your patience. (B. See)