Yosemite Daily Report - Yosemite National Park Thursday, June 6, 2024

Yosemite Daily Report – Yosemite National Park
Thursday, June 6, 2024

Yosemite National Park Zone Forecast
Today: Sunny. Highs 65 to 81. South winds up to 10 mph shifting to the southwest in the afternoon. Gusts up to 30 mph.
Tonight: Colder. Mostly clear. Lows 44 to 60. West winds up to 10 mph with gusts to around 25 mph shifting to the east after midnight.
Tomorrow: Sunny. Highs 64 to 80. Southeast winds up to 5 mph shifting to the southwest 5 to 15 mph in the afternoon.

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NEW & HAPPENING TODAY

Fire Management in Foresta
Fire Management will have a contractor conducting hazard fuel reduction in the community of Foresta starting this week. The work area will be along Foresta Rd. from the dumpsters to Campground Rd. 200ft on both sides of the road. This will be a combination of machine and hand thinning work for approximately 30 acres. Work is expected to take 2-3 weeks to complete. Please use caution while traveling in the area. (R. Mitchell)
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Safety Trivia at the Carabiner
Safety trivia is this Thursday 6/6 at 7pm. Come participate in a health and safety inspired trivia, show off your knowledge and compete for prizes! (C.Layman)
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Power Outage Friday 6/14/24 at the EP Facilites Warehouse/RMS for Dispatch Expansion Project
The contractor will be doing electrical tie-ins for dispatch center equipment, and it requires power shut down of the entire warehouse facility and RMS annex. Dispatch and Emergency communications will be placed on backup power for the duration of the outage, but no other power will be provided at the warehouse while the tie-ins are taking place. The temporary bypass power to dispatch will take place first thing Friday morning, expect power outage to begin at 5am and to last all day. There may be a chance of earlier power restoration to the EP warehouse, but do not plan to have power for the day. If you have any questions, please contact Alyssa Sharp, project manager, at 209-347-9189. (A. Sharp)

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RECENT NEWS

Pride Event: Speaker Series on 6/11 -Nico Francis
On June 11th, join Nico Francis in the Valley Girl’s Club Library from 7pm-8pm for program on Confluence with Nature Through Wooden Boat Building. Program brought to you by the LGBTQ+ ERG. All are welcome! (C. Lau)
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Pride Event: Skill Share Event on 6/12 – Beginner Muay Thai
Join Connie Lau on June 12th for a beginner class on Muay Thai, aka Thai Kickboxing. This will be 6-7:15pm at the El Portal Community Hall. Class will cover basic strikes, elbows, and footwork. Wear comfortable workout clothes and bring water. For more information and RSVP, email connie_lau@nps.gov. Program brought to you by the LGBTQ+ ERG. All work groups are welcome. (C. Lau)
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Pride Event: Pride Day on 6/7
Join us for family-friendly Pride programs in front of the Exploration Center followed by Stewardship Projects in Yosemite Valley. Pride programs will be offered from 8-10am in front of the Exploration Center (bring a shirt to screen print your own Yosemite Pride shirts!). Stewardship Projects will start at 9:30 am in front of the Exploration Center and include pulling invasive plants in Ahwahnee Meadow, removing small conifers near Lower River Amphitheater and litter pickup! The three stewardship groups will depart the Exploration Center together at 9:30 am and walk to their respective work sites to work until noon. Bring closed toe shoes, water, and sun protection if you plan on participating.
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Pride Event: Karaoke Night on 6/7
Warm up those voices for Pride Karaoke at the Carabiner! Food and drinks will be available and costumes are encouraged! 7-9:30pm at the Carabiner in Yosemite Valley. All are welcome! (C.Lau)
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Tioga Road Full Admin Access
Starting at 0800hrs on May 31st, Tioga Road will be open for full administrative travel.

The following is currently allowed on the Tioga Corridor:
Any NPS employee with official business along the Tioga Corridor.
Pass-throughs to the east side for official travel ONLY.
Yosemite Hospitality (overnight is allowed if on YH premise AND completely self-contained).
Construction contractors (overnight is allowed if in construction zone AND completely self-contained).
Overnight government business stays in the backcountry
Work out a shuttle so no vehicles are left on the Tioga Corridor.

The following is not currently allowed in the corridor:
No overnight stays within the Tuolumne corridor
There will be no access for personal related traveling and recreating along the Tioga Road
Trips in the corridor are limited to government business only
There is no through access to east side for personal purposes
There will be no access to the road for personal backcountry trips
No bikes

On the day of your work on Tioga you must do the following:
Reach out to dispatch that you are entering the Tioga Road Corridor
Attempt to reach 260 (Monday – Thursday) on the park radio to notify them that you are in the corridor. Try to get a hold of them on Hoffman.
When you are done for the day please reach out to dispatch and the road supervisor to let them know you are out of the area. (S. Robinson)
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Pride Event: First Skill Share Series Program on 6/8
Join Madi Perry on June 8th for a class on Queer Myc-art-ology to learn more about spore printing and fungi knowledge. This will be at 9:30am in the Lower River Amphitheater. For more information and RSVP, email madison_perry@nps.gov by June 6th as space is limited. Program brought to you by the LGBTQ+ ERG. All work groups are welcome. (C. Lau)
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Yosemite Forum on Tuesday, June 11 from 3:30-4:30 pm.
Surveying the diversity and distribution of toxin-producing cyanobacterial mats in Yosemite
By Dr. Keith Bouma-Gregson, U.S. Geological Survey

Cyanobacteria are ubiquitous in aquatic environments across the globe. While these photosynthetic microbes are important members of ecosystems, they can also produce toxins that are harmful to humans and animals. In wadable rivers and streams, cyanobacteria often grow as mats attached to rocks and other substrate on the bed. In recent years, numerous national parks, including Yosemite, have detected cyanotoxins produced from benthic mats. Our project is surveying streams and rivers to begin to describe the diversity of toxigenic cyanobacteria, cyanotoxins, and the environmental factors associated with their presence in Yosemite. The goal is to improve our understanding of the impact toxic cyanobacteria may have on human safety and ecosystem health in Yosemite.

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_MWM5YmIzNmItYWQ4ZC00ZWZhLWIxMjUtNmUyNDIzODcwMDEz%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
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The Spring Issue of the Sierra Nevada Monitor is Now Available
This issue features network and staffing transitions, Inventory Program projects addressing park-specific needs, monitoring project updates, a Focal Condition Assessment documenting sugar pine decline, the 2024 Sierra Nevada Science Symposium at UC Merced, and a new web article as well as publications and reports. This is the newsletter for the Sierra Nevada Inventory and Monitoring Network, a National Park Service program that conducts natural resource inventories and long-term monitoring in Yosemite National Park, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, and Devils Postpile National Monument. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/sien-sierranevadamonitor-spring-2024.htm (L. Mutch)
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Bootjack Rental
Available now, furnished studio apartment in quiet Bootjack neighborhood. Rent includes electric, propane, water, Wi-Fi and trash pickup. $875./mo. Plus $875. 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

Mist Trail Repair July 1th – October 31st 2024
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 M-TH between 7:00am and 3:30pm from 7/1/24 – 10/31/24 (subject to change).

The trail will remain open Fridays, weekends and holidays. 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 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 Thursday. Otherwise, they must hike the JMT. (W. Weaver)

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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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Shuttle Service and Road Construction Updates in East Yosemite Valley
From now until June 30, 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 (kevin_brothers@nps.gov). (K. Brothers)
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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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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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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. (M. Vantzelfden)

Yosemite Daily Report – Yosemite National Park Thursday, June 6, 2024