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Daily Report – Yosemite National Park
Wednesday, June 13th, 2018
Today: Sunny. Highs 85 to 91 at 5000 feet…72 to 78 at 8000 feet. Heat index readings 108 to 118 in the afternoon.
Tonight: Clear. Lows 50 to 60 at 5000 feet…40 to 50 at 8000 feet.
Tomorrow: Sunny. Highs 82 to 88 at 5000 feet…70 to 76 at 8000 feet.
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 AND HAPPENING TODAY
Mariposa Grove Week Is Here
After three years of incredible work, the Mariposa Grove Of Giant Sequoias officially opens to the public on Friday, June 15th, 2018, at 9:00 a.m. While this is a very exciting time, the opening will offer some new challenges as systems get up and running. In a continued commitment to have an informed workforce, here is some key information and communication tools for you to use in the days to come.
From Tuesday, June 12th, through Thursday, June 14th, the opening of the Mariposa Grove will be managed under an Incident Command System (ICS). Eric Scott is the Incident Commander.
While the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias will not open to the public until Friday, various events will be conducted leading up to the opening including media visits, the Employee Open House, and the Mariposa Grove Dedication Ceremony. Please refer to the schedule below for information about the events on Wednesday and Thursday.
Visitors will be eager to plan their visit to the Mariposa Grove, and employees will be getting lots of questions! Visitors can be directed to the recently updated webpage about visiting the Mariposa Grove at http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/mg.htm. Additionally, the upcoming Yosemite Guide (publication date of June 20, 2018) will feature the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias as the featured cover story as well as contain all the details on how to visit.
Please be advised that the opening weekend is expected to be very busy. Traffic delays at the South Entrance and Wawona area are expected.
Thank you to the entire Yosemite team, partners included, for all the work over the last three years as well as all the planning to ensure a smooth opening!
Mariposa Grove Dedication Ceremony Schedule
Thursday, June 14, 2018
10:00 am- 12:00 pm
8:00 am: First Shuttle leaves the Mariposa Grove Transit Depot. Plan to park at the New South Entrance Parking Area (there is no shuttle from Wawona. Parking is first come, first served)
9:00 am – 10:00 am: Pre-Event Music with Tom Bopp and gathering at the Lower Grove Arrival Area
9:45 am: Last Shuttle Leave the Transit Depot serving the Ceremony (plan to arrive early)
10:00 am – 12:00 pm: Mariposa Grove Dedication Ceremony and Ribbon Cutting
12:15 pm: Shuttle service resumes; Attendees are invited to explore the Mariposa Grove
2:00 pm: Last Shuttle will Leave the Lower Grove Arrival and Departure Area. Do not miss the last shuttle.
3:00 pm: Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias closes until 9:00 am Friday morning for the public opening (S. Gediman)
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Valley Campground Operations June 13th
The Valley Campground Reservation Office will be closed 6/13, for the Mariposa Grove Employee day. Campers with reservations can go directly to their campground (Upper, Lower, or North Pines) and follow the instructions posted at the kiosk.
For campers without reservations, Upper, Lower, and North Pines are full for Wednesday night, 6/13. There is no same day availability for these campgrounds on Wednesday night.
The Camp 4 kiosk will be closed, 6/13. Anyone hoping for a first-come, first-serve spot in Camp 4 will need to line up as usual Wednesday morning. A ranger will be putting out a limited sign up sheet, self-pay envelopes, and instructions tomorrow morning.
Normal campground operations will resume on Thursday. (S. Montroy)
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RECENT NEWS
Barry Hance Award Nominations Due June 22
All NPS employees are eligible to nominate someone – you could be the one who submits the application for this year’s winner! To nominate someone you must complete the Barry Hance Award nomination form, complete a DI-451 award form, and have the nominee’s supervisor approve and sign the nomination form (email yose_superintendent@nps.gov to get the forms if you don’t already have them). Send the completed package in a blue “special attention mail” envelope labeled “Barry Hance Award Nomination” to Alan Kunz and/or Renee Madrid at the Superintendent’s Office in the Valley. (A. Kunz)
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Valley Campground Office Hours
Beginning on Sunday, June 10th, The Valley Campground Reservation Office will be open 8:30am-4:30pm daily. (S. Pyle)
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New Point Of Contact For Found Artifacts In Yosemite
Every year, visitors to Yosemite collect artifacts from around the park and turn them in to park staff, where they eventually wind up in the Archeology Office. This collection of artifacts is damaging to the park’s historic and archeological resources, especially when the objects are collected without any locational information.
The Archeology Office has set up a new email address to make it easier for park staff and visitors to get in touch regarding found artifacts: YOSE_archeology@nps.gov. If a visitor or another park employee tells you about or turns in an artifact they’ve found, please email a precise description of the location, including a GPS point if possible; a photograph of the artifact; and the name and contact information of the person who found it. As always, it is preferable that artifacts be left in place where possible for an archaeologist to assess.
Feel free to distribute this email address to visitors as necessary so they can contact Archaeology themselves. Thank you for helping keep Yosemite’s cultural resources intact! (M. Baptista)
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Call Before You Dig
Reminder: With all the continuous and ongoing construction in the park, please call USA North 811 before you dig. There are water, sewer, phone, IT and electrical lines throughout the park, even if it appears there is no service in the area. (K. Bablitch)
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Seeking Housemate In Midpines
Spacious 2000 sq. ft. house has 1 bedroom available. Large open living room, dining room, and kitchen. Two refrigerators, dishwasher, oven, microwave, dining room table set provided. Electric HVAC, swamp cooler, plus wood burning stove. Shared separate laundry room with washer and dryer. Huge deck on 2 sides of the house with views of distant hills. Storage for gear, bikes, etc.. Sits on 7+ acres of beautiful rolling hills and trees just off Colorado Road and East Whitlock, 10 min. from Mariposa. $400/month plus electric & WiFi. No smokers. Credit check. Email hodges.marcia@gmail.com or call 510-207-5951. (M. Hodges)