Daily Report – Yosemite National Park
Thursday, November 21, 2024
Yosemite National Park Zone Forecast
Today: Not as cool. Mostly sunny. Highs 38 to 52. South winds 5 to 15 mph with gusts to around 45 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear. Near steady temperature in the mid 30s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph with gusts to around 45 mph.
Tomorrow: Mostly cloudy. Chance of snow in the morning, then chance of snow and rain in the afternoon. Patchy blowing snow in the afternoon. Visibility one quarter mile or less at times in the afternoon. Highs 38 to 52. South winds 5 to 15 mph. Gusts up to 55 mph decreasing to 45 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation 50 percent.
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
Temporary Power Outage at Ahwahnee Hotel November 21st
Contractors working at the Ahwahnee hotel will temporarily disconnect power at the hotel on November 19, 2024, through November 21, 2024, between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm each day to reconnect the hotel’s kitchen to the Park’s power grid. All guests staying at the Ahwahnee during the impacted dates have already been notified by Yosemite Hospitality. (E. Kenny)
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Welcome Sonja Schwartz—Emergency Services Administrative Assistant!
Sonja has been living in the Sierra Nevada for the past decade, splitting her time between the Western Sierra and Bishop and is happy to finally make Yosemite her home. She originally worked in the park as a hiking guide before moving over to the NPS as a wilderness ranger and volunteering as a SAR tech this past summer. Beyond her admin duties, Sonja joins our YOSAR and EMS teams as an EMT and WFR. She was a member of Inyo County Search and Rescue for 6 seasons where she participated in incidents involving alpine, snow, and technical rescue. She has a wide range of administrative experience including running a program to look at wildlife water access in the Mojave and acting as a project manager for an R&D company developing experimental watercraft. Born in NYC and raised in NJ, she moved out to California for college. She has a graduate degree from UC Berkeley in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management. In her spare time, she enjoys climbing and skiing and is currently contemplating training for the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament next spring. Her favorite place in the park is the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne and she is looking forward to one day making it out to Benson Lake. (J. McGahey)
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RECENT NEWS
Opportunities for Employee Input: Addressing Safety and Wayfinding in the Mist Trail Corridor
On October 24th, Yosemite National Park began a 30-day, pre-NEPA civic engagement period to gather comments and input on potential enhancements to the Mist Trail Corridor. Comments gathered during this period will help the park refine preliminary ideas, strategies, and concepts and will inform the development of future management alternatives. The park intends to publish a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for public comment by summer 2025. To learn more about the project, visit the project planning page, Mist Trail Corridor Project. Public Comments are accepted through November 23rd. We know that your involvement will bring a unique and well-informed perspective to our key issues and opportunities that will critically inform this process. As a member of the general public, you are also welcome to provide public comments via PEPC (https://parkplanning.nps.gov/MistTrailPlan) based on your experience as a user of the park. If you have comments directly related to your knowledge or experience as a YOSE staff member regarding how plan actions may impact management and operations of the park, please use this form to submit your comments: YOSE Employee Feedback for Mist Trail Plan EA. (A. Puchkoff)
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Volunteers Needed for Post-Thanksgiving Fun Run on November 30th
Yosemite Wellness is seeking volunteers! Are you interested in supporting a community wellness idea? We are trying to put together a post-Thanksgiving fun run on 11/30/2024 *weather permitting* and could use some help!
The run will be hosted by Yosemite-based U.S. Public Health Service officers in partnership with the Yosemite Wellness Coalition to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Pink Floyd’s The Wall album release, AKA the Saturday after Thanksgiving 2024. This family friendly event is open to all Park Partners and Community Members. The route starts in front of the Yosemite Medical Clinic, we will take the bike path to Mirror Lake and back.
We will need volunteers on Saturday, 11/30, to help staff the welcome table, stage along the route to keep participants on track, and other ‘tasks of the day.’ Volunteers will be needed from 8a-appx 3pm. Please reach out if you are interested. jamie_gonzales@nps.gov. (J. Gonzales)
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El Portal Child Care Center is Hiring!
Do you love working with children? Are you passionate about early childhood education and working with a great team? El Portal Child Care Center is currently hiring for the following position: Full-Time Teacher
Ideal applicants will have experience working with young children, be flexible and able to “go with the flow”, be dedicated and reliable!
Interested applicants should send a cover letter and resume to Heather Webster at director@ynpccc.org. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Compensation is commensurate with experience. Housing may be available. Located within 10 minutes of the Yosemite gate.
I look forward to hearing from you! (H.Webster)
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Upcoming Clinic Closures
The Yosemite Medical Clinic will be closed for walk-in urgent care the afternoons of Wednesday and Thursday, November 20th and 21st. Clinic staff will be participating in offsite meetings both afternoons. During Thanksgiving week, the clinic will be closed on Thanksgiving Day but open the rest of the week with normal hours. (A. Rose-Wood)
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Mariposa House for Rent
Located between Lush Meadows and Ponderosa Basin, the main 2000 square foot house has 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, and there is an additional bedroom and bathroom in a separate structure across the deck. Living room with baby grand piano, family room with gas fireplace, full kitchen and laundry area on 7.5 acres. Furnished, water provided. Prefer 1 year lease but open to discussion. $2400/month, available January 1st. Email Jane at sierratrailsinn@sti.net.
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Utility Billing Delays
Due to an extended outage of the FBMS system, some residential utility billing will be delayed until the system is restored. This process is taking longer than usual due to system conversion errors. We appreciate your patience and understanding during this disruption.
Please contact lee_christensen@nps.gov or ian_frady@nps.gov for questions or concerns. (L. Christensen)
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Pile Burning to Begin
Yosemite fire plans to begin ignitions on piles throughout the park and in the woodlots. Ignitions may start as early as this week. (N. Phillipe)
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El Portal School Hiring Expanded Learning Aide Position
El Portal School is hiring an Expanded Learning Aide. This is our after-school program. This position would also come with an option for NPS housing. Contact Jim Freeman, El Portal Principal, at 209-379-2382 or jfreeman@mcusd.org for any additional information or support with the application process. (J. Mcgahey)
https://www.edjoin.org/Home/JobPosting/2011803
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Rental Available in Bootjack Area
510 sq.ft. Upstairs furnished studio apartment in quiet Bootjack area, 10 minutes from Mariposa. Kitchen has refrigerator, propane range, toaster oven & microwave. Living area has Queen bed, side tables, sofa, dinette set and desk. Bath with shower/tub. Walk in closet, plus storage closet. Rent includes electric, propane, water, Wi-Fi and trash pickup. Rent includes electric, propane, water, Wi-Fi and trash pickup. $900./mo. Plus $900. security deposit. One person only, no pets. This is a non-smoking property. Taking applications. Email nassar@sti.net for photos and rental application. (D. Nassar)
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ONGOING PROJECTS
Murchison House Project
The Historic Preservation Crew will be re-mothballing Murchison House, including roof repairs, siding repairs, and window repairs to keep moisture out of the structure and protect it for potential future use. Crews will be in and out of the location as needed. (K. Brothers)
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Big Oak Flat Information Station Project
The Historic Preservation Crew is working with Mather B&G to repair the foundation of the structure and helping to rodentproof the structure for building and staff safety. (K. Brothers)
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Wawona Road Hazard Tree Removal
Mather Forestry will be working along the Wawona Road between the Wawona Campground and the south boundary. Work will take place Mondays through Thursdays, 8:00am to 3:30pm. Expect traffic delays. The work is expected to last several weeks. (J. Brown)
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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 Brett Graves, YOSE D&E Project Manager, for more information. (M.