Yosemite Daily Report, NPS Fri, Feb 9, 8:48 AM
YOSE Daily Report, NPS
Fri, Feb 9, 8:48 AM (2 days ago)
Daily Report – Yosemite National Park
Friday, February 9, 2024
Yosemite National Park Zone Forecast
Today: Mostly cloudy early in the morning then becoming partly sunny. Slight chance of snow showers in the late morning and early afternoon. Chance of snow showers late in the afternoon. Highs 21 to 33. West winds up to 10 mph with gusts to around 30 mph. Chance of snow 40 percent.
Tonight: Breezy. Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of snow showers in the evening, then mostly clear after midnight. Lows 5 to 19. Northeast winds 5 to 15 mph increasing to 15 to 25 mph after midnight. Gusts up to 45 mph.
Tomorrow: Not as cold. Sunny. Highs 26 to 38. Northeast winds 15 to 20 mph decreasing to 5 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Gusts up to 45 mph.
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
Horsetail Fall Traffic Control
Well it’s that time of year again when the sun lines up with a waterfall and turns the water orange. Seriously though, under the right conditions it is quite a sight. This entry in the daily report is to remind you that the crowds are coming. Expect crowds during the afternoon/evening in and along Northside Drive between Camp 4 and El Capitan Meadow. Event management for Horsetail Fall viewing will be set up on February 9 and taken down February 26. “Peak viewing” is around February 21st.
Ferry Bend/Sentinel Creek and the area between the Valley Loop Trail and river, along Southside drive between Cathedral Beach and 4 mile trailhead, will be closed from 12pm to 7pm during the event to prevent further riverbank deterioration. The left lane of Northside Drive will be the designated pedestrian lane, now extended to include the span from Camp 4 intersection to Lower Falls intersection and that lane closure will be in place for the entirety of the event. The speed limit will be decreased to 25MPH throughout the viewing area on Northside Drive. Parking restrictions are similar to last year where Northside Drive Parking will be limited to disabled parking 12pm-7pm and there will be no parking/stopping on Southside Drive 12pm-7pm between El Cap Crossover and 4 Mile Trailhead.
The map is available at https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/horsetailfall.htm
There will be potential daily temporary closures of Northside Drive at Camp 4 between 5:30pm and 6:00pm, up to 30 minutes, to accommodate the mass exodus of pedestrians in the roadway. Please plan accordingly. Last year, there was considerable congestion, but we did not have to close down the road for more than 10 minutes on one day. The goal is to keep it open as much as possible, however, that will be crowd dependent.
As you may have heard, this year we will have a permit system in place and a reservation will be required to drive into Yosemite 24 hours per day on February 10–11, 17–19, and 24–25. Hopefully this will help alleviate the Presidents Day weekend crush we experienced last year.
If you are an NPS employee and would like to assist VRP and Interpretation with this event, after you have received supervisory approval, please email Ian_Rippetoe@nps.gov with your available dates to coordinate scheduling, timekeeping, and further details. The hours requested will most likely be 3pm – 7pm. Duties will revolve around providing information, crowd management, and traffic direction. Only 1-2 people per day are needed to supplement staffing.
Please direct all other questions to Ian_Rippetoe@nps.gov. The event is about balancing park operations with increased visitation in an area with very little infrastructure. If you have a project that is happening in the viewing area and these plans will cause an issue, please email Ian_Rippetoe@nps.gov Thank you for your patience in what has become a now annual event. Happy viewing! (I. Rippetoe)
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RECENT NEWS
Please welcome and congratulate Heidi Edgecomb as the new Wawona District Ranger!
Many of you have worked with Ranger Heidi for many years, and well know the professionalism and dedication that she brings to Yosemite National Park and the community of Wawona. We are excited for Heidi to take on this duty and lead the Wawona District!
What you might not know about Heidi is that she grew up in Western Michigan, and in her pre NPS career she worked as a paramedic, and for a variety of youth programs focused on high adventure, backpacking, horse packing, and ropes course instruction.
Heidi graduated from Ferris State University with a BS in Recreation Management with a dual minor in outdoor adventure education and leisure services.
Her NPS career began at Acadia National Park as a seasonal mounted patrol ranger in 2007. She continued at Biscayne National Park as a boat patrol ranger 2007-2008. She became a permanent ranger here in Yosemite in March of 2008. Heidi has worked primarily in Wawona, but she has had several promotional detail opportunities with the Investigations Service Branch, Wilderness, and Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. Along the way she also spent some time with Dispatch, the budget office, and our legal office. She served most recently as the Wawona Patrol Supervisor since 2022. Heidi brings a wealth of experience, knowledge of park operations, and technical expertise which have well prepared her for the challenges of this new role. Along the way she has been recognized with numerous performance and service awards.
Heidi lives in Wawona with her husband Joe of Wawona Utilities, at home they have a dog, cat, and a retired park horse! (Among her many talents Heidi is an expert equestrian)
Congratulations Heidi, way to go! (J. Webb)
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Rental
RV lot for rent on HWY 140 half mile west of downtown Mariposa.
Rent is $650 a month. Available MPUD. (water and sewer), and PG&E on lot not included.
Contact is Tom Tobin 209-628-2562 (J. Meisner)
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Crews Look to Burn Piles Near Cold Springs
SONORA, California, February 6, 2024 – Fire crews with the Stanislaus National Forest’s Mi-Wok/Summit Ranger District began pile burning operations in the Cold Spring area.
“While the wet conditions we’ve experienced recently don’t make for favorable understory or broadcasting burning, it does gives us an opportunity to burn some of the piles produced over the last few years as a result of our fuels reduction work within the Wildfire Crisis Strategy Landscape,” said Mi-Wok/Summit Ranger District Fire Management Officer, Shaun Craig.
Craig said crews will look to burn units three and four today with a projected total of 63 acres and will evaluate conditions for burning in units five and six tomorrow.
Smoke impacts are expected to be minimal with pile burning operations but residents are encouraged to monitor air conditions via the AirNow.gov website and take appropriate actions when necessary. Additional Smoke resources are available via the Stanislaus National Forest’s Smoke Ready page: https://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/SmokeReady
The RX burn supports continued work in the designated Wildfire Crisis Strategy Landscape. Launched by the U.S. Forest Service in 2021, the Wildfire Crisis Strategy looks to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire across the western United States through a combination of RX Fire and other fuels treatments to include machine and hand thinning.
Any questions or concerns should be directed to Forest Public Affairs Officer, Benjamin Cossel: benjamin.cossel@usda.gov or 209.288.6261. (B. Cossel)
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Badger Pass Nordic Winter Condition Report Week of February 5
The Badger Pass A-frame is open and staffed 7 days/week by Wilderness staff to answer questions and issue Overnight Wilderness permits. A-frame hours are 8:00am-4:00pm, intermittently. Call (209) 372-0408 for current ski/snow conditions.
Snow conditions: With the majority of last weeks and weekends stormy weather behind us, it’s time to hit the Glacier Point Nordic Routes (with skis or snowshoes of course) and help break the trails! At the time of this writing (2/6) the Glacier Point Road has not yet been groomed but the trail is broken from Horizon Ridge back to Badger Pass, and we anticipate the road being groomed soon. The only trail known to be broken at this time is Horizon Ridge from Ostrander Ski Hut to Badger Pass. Dewey Point 14 and 18 will get broken before the weekend. Since the beginning of the storm cycle on Thursday 2/1, we have had daily snow fall totals of 12, 10, 7, 12, 11 and 4 inches for an impressive 6-day storm total of 56 inches of snow! Woohoo! The temperature has ranged from 16 to 32 degrees during that time. Our settled snow depth here at the A-Frame is currently 44 inches and it continues to snow lightly with beautiful splashes of sunlight breaking through every couple of hours, making for truly lovely scenery.
CAUTION: Attempting to hike on the Nordic Routes in these conditions will lead to thigh deep wallowing with wet shoes, socks and bottom layers as the primary result with very little distance traveled. Designated Nordic ski routes are intended for ski or snowshoe travel only. Please be prepared with the proper gear.
Strong route-finding skills are helpful if you are the first one to ski a trail after fresh snow or if the trail is unbroken. In these conditions, allow extra time and expect travel to be slower and more difficult.
We look forward to seeing you up here! (C. Carter)
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Kudos for Andy O’Brien
The High Voltage Shop would like to recognize Andy O’Brien with Valley Utilites for his dedication to YOSE and the critical operations of the park. Andy was not far from home when he received our request to check on the status of generators backing up critical infrastructure during a weather-related power outage on Monday the 7th. He returned to the park and ensured that the generators were running and helped get one of the generators operating that had failed to start. We are grateful he went out of his way to return and help us rectify the situation with a positive and safe outcome (X. Casasnovas).
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PG&E Planned Power Outage February 16 El Portal & Badger Pass
PG&E has planned a power outage in El Portal, Badger Pass, and Glacier Point Road on Friday, February 16, 2024, from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM (C. Flores).
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Pile Burning in Wawona
Yosemite Fire will be burning piles along Forest Drive in Wawona beginning 2/7. Please watch for firefighters and equipment in the area. Smoke will be noticeable in the community. Air quality information can be found at https://fire.airnow.gov/ (N. Phillipe).
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Campgrounds
Due to the Horsetail Fall event, Camp 4, Wawona and Hodgdon Meadow campgrounds will switch from first come, first served, to reservation for the nights of February 9 through February 25.(E. Bissmeyer)
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Galentine’s Day Waffle Party 2/13 @ 11am-1pm
Join the Womxn’s Employee Resource Group in the Large Breakroom at the EP Warehouse for Galentine’s Day waffles! Waffles provided, BYO plates and cutlery.
Bring a topping to share with everyone – all are welcome and encouraged to stop by!
Pride Trivia at Sal’s Night 2/8 @ 6:30pm
Join the Yosemite Employee Association and the LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group at the El Portal Community Hall for the second annual Pride Trivia at Sal’s Night! Only $5 per team, and the proceeds will be donated to the ERG’s annual event later this month for Transgender and Non-Binary Day of Visibility! Arrive before 6:30pm to make sure your team gets a spot and is ready to start on time. (S.Soroka)
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Kudos for Chad Drew
A huge thank you to Chad Drew and Leslie Heavy Haul for always using the utmost care when working around Cultural Resources. Their continued attention to detail, communication, and integrity creates a positive and reliable work environment that anyone is lucky to be a part of. (E. Caselman)
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Kudos for Telecom – Daniel Pennycuff
Last week I requested some assistance from Telecom with a couple of voicemail and office phone line changes that I needed help with. Within minutes I got a response from Daniel, and minutes later he was in my office. He took careful notes and asked clarifying questions to be sure to support what could suit the Volunteer Office best. And just like that, everything was fixed! I even learned a couple of new things I hadn’t know about our VoIP phones. Thank you for your time, team spirit, and knowledge, Daniel! (S. Martinez)
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Indian Cultural Museum Closed Wednesday
On Wednesday, February 7th, the Indian Cultural Musuem will be closed until 1pm, due to a division meeting. (S. Miyako)
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SPPM Recruiting for Community Planner Detail
SPPM is recruiting for a 120-day detail to our GS 11/12 Community Planner position. The selected candidate would serve as the project manager for the Summer 2024 day-use vehicle reservation program. Duties include tracking and assigning tasks for the interdisciplinary planning team, coordinating communication and outreach with park personnel and the Denver Service Center, managing responses to public inquiries on the project and assisting with development of presentations and outreach material. This is a critical assignment that requires excellent organizational and communication skills. It is essential that the selected individual have a strong team orientation and be self-motivated. Please contact Division Chief Kathleen Morse (kathleen_morse@nps.gov, or via TEAMS) if you are interested. A full position description is available. Interested candidates please respond by 2/9/2024. (K. Dunbar-Kari)
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Seeking Volunteer for Volunteer Office!
The Volunteer Program Office in El Portal is seeking support. We need winter assistance with organizing office items such as uniforms, recognition items, and files; as well as computer help with responding to email inquiries and applications. Ideally, a person would be available starting mid-February and until mid-April, and would already have a current background check. Depending on the candidate’s interest and qualifications, work could be up to 32 hours per week and housing could be in the package if needed. Please reach out to yose_volunteers@nps.gov or sally_martinez@nps.gov if you might be interested. (S. Martinez)
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Yosemite Medical Clinic
We have limited walk-in availability via telehealth only on 2/7-2/8 during normal walk-in hours o 1:00-1:30. On Friday, 2/9, the clinic is open for RN visits only. (P. Ulrich)
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Rental Available
Upstairs studio apartment in a quiet Bootjack neighborhood. 10 minutes from Mariposa. 510 sq.ft. Furnished. Full Kitchen. Bath with shower/tub. Queen bed. Walk in closet, plus storage closet. Rent includes Electric, propane, water, Trash pickup and WI-Fi. $900./mo. Plus $900. security deposit. One person only. Non smoking property, no pets. Email nassar@sti.net for photos and application.
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ONGOING PROJECTS
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 as of 2/1/2024, but the stairwell and adjacent entrance will periodically need to be temporarily closed as work dictates. The entrance, stairs, and elevator can be used as long as they have not been blocked off, but use extra caution in the stairwell as there is currently no lighting. 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. Latest anticipated project completion date is mid-March 2024. Contact Nicole Belle Isle, YOSE Project Manager, for more information (N. Belle Isle).
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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
Service stops 2, 4, 5, 14, 15, 18, and 19 are subject to intermittent closure, due to construction. Stops #1, 16, and 17 are the next closest stops that will remain available throughout construction. (C. Layman)
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Valley Forestry Through March
Valley Forestry will be performing residential tree trimming and hazard removal in Old El Portal, Rancheria and Yosemite Valley through the end of March. Workers will be entering yards for tree inspection and trimming. Email Brian_See@nps.gov for more information or work requests. (B. See)