Daily Report - Yosemite National Park
Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Weather
Yosemite Valley
Today: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 11am. Mostly
cloudy, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming west southwest between 10
and 13 mph.
Tonight: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11pm.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 56. Calm wind becoming east between 4 and
7 mph.
Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 11am.
Partly cloudy, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming west southwest
between 5 and 8 mph.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before
11pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 55. South southwest wind 5 to 10 mph
becoming east.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 92. East wind 5 to 9 mph becoming west
southwest.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 56.

El Portal
Today: Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 98. Calm wind becoming
southwest between 8 and 11 mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 61. North northwest wind at 8 mph
becoming east northeast.
Thursday: Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 97. Calm wind becoming
west northwest between 5 and 8 mph.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 61. Calm wind becoming
east northeast between 4 and 7 mph.
Friday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 97. East wind at 9 mph becoming
west southwest.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 61.

Tuolumne Area
Today: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 11am. Mostly
cloudy, with a high near 58. Southwest wind between 3 and 11 mph.
Tonight: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11pm.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 41. Southwest wind between 4 and 7 mph
becoming calm.
Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 11am.
Partly cloudy, with a high near 58. Calm wind becoming southwest between 7
and 10 mph.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before
11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40. South wind between 11 and 14 mph
becoming calm.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 57. Calm wind becoming southwest
between 5 and 8 mph.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 41.

Happening Today in Yosemite

Yosemite Creek, Porcupine Flat, and the A-loop of Bridalveil Creek
Campground (including group and horse sites) are open for the season
today. (M. Carter, 7/1/09)

Harden Lake, Smith Meadow, and Pate Valley Trails are closed due to fire
activity in the area (A. Rothell, 7/1/09).

Park News
There will be two construction related water outages in Curry Village
during the week of July 6th. The first will be Tuesday night, July 7th
between 10 pm and 1 am. Temporary toilet facilities will be provided. The
second outage will be during the day of July 9th between 10 am and 4 pm.
During this outage the eastern half of Curry Village will still have
service (Stoneman House, and from the Pavilion toward the east). For the
other areas temporary toilet facilities will again be provided. (S.Tarnay,
7/1/09)

Updates
The Grouse and Harden fires in Yosemite National Park continue to move at a
steady pace under hot and dry conditions. The Grouse Fire (350 acres) is
about three miles southwest of Yosemite Valley and north of Glacier Point
Road. The Harden Fire (220 acres) is on the north side of the park, west
of Harden Lake and northwest of White Wolf. The two fires are being
managed to achieve both protection and resource objectives.

The objectives for the fires include preventing fire growth outside defined
management areas, restoring fire dependent forest systems, managing smoke
production, protecting wildlife habitat and preserving cultural and natural
resources. To achieve these objectives, fire personnel are using a variety
of strategies and techniques such as building fire line, blacklining
control lines, using aerial resources when necessary and monitoring and
patrolling.

Monday, on the Grouse Fire, personnel took actions along Steamboat Ridge to
keep the fire within the defined management area. Crews also prepared
sections of Wawona Road for future burnout operations. On the Harden Fire,
personnel began fire line construction east and west of the fire to stop
fire progression in those directions while allowing north and south
progression to continue. In addition, helicopters dropped buckets of water
on hot spots to slow fire spread and shuttled supplies for crews.

Park staff continues to monitor smoke and work closely with Mariposa and
Tuolumne County Air Pollution Control Districts to address air quality
concerns. Managers have implemented actions on the Grouse Fire to meet
incident objectives and minimize smoke impacts to the park and surrounding
communities. Smoky conditions may exist from time to time within the park,
on roads and in surrounding areas. Residents and visitors are advised to
take precautions to minimize smoke impacts to health. To see air quality
data, please visit: http://www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience/aqmonitoring.htm

A strong high pressure will persist over the next few days with partly
cloudy conditions, high temperatures and a chance of isolated
thunderstorms.

Grouse (37 41.445 x 119 41.017; 6500’, Mariposa Co.), started May 30. It
is approximately 350 acres. Personnel are working ahead of the fire
implementing management actions along Steamboat Ridge to prevent northward
fire spread. The fire is visible along Wawona Road (Highway 41) and
Glacier Pt. Road. Please expect temporary road delays near the fire
vicinity.

Harden (37 53.624 x 119 42.221; 7800’, Tuolumne Co); Lightning-caused,
probably on June 8. It is north of White Wolf, west of Harden Lake and
within the 1996 Ackerson fire perimeter. It is 220 acres and burning
mostly in brush and Red Fir. Fire officials are assessing the need for
closures around Harden Lake, Smith Peak and the old Aspen Valley Rd.

Fire Information: Please call 209/375-9574 and visit Inciweb @
http://www.inciweb.org/incident/1704
For Additional Information: The park website, www.nps.gov/yose/fire; or

email at: yose_fire_information@nps.gov. (T. Pusina, 7/1/09)

Employee/Volunteer Corner

On Friday, July 3rd, YARTS will observe a holiday schedule, meaning that
Runs 1 and 7 will not operate that day. The remainder of the schedule will
stay unchanged. (D. Whittington, 6/30/09)

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The National Active and Retired Federal Employees (NARFE) will be meeting
on July 6th, Monday at the Mariposa Senior Center. It is located on
Spriggs Lane off of Smith Road. Our program will be about fire resistant
landscaping and will be presented by a Master Gardener. We meet at 12:30
PM. Come early and join us for lunch. Call 742-7182 for reservations.
The lunch is always delicious and is $3.00 for seniors and $6.00 for under
65. (C. Liu, 6/30/09)

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DETAIL OPPORTUNITY
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE – FIRE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
CALIFORNIA STATE FAIR – CAMP SMOKEY
AUGUST 21 – SEPTEMBER 7, 2009 in SACRAMENTO, CA

Consider representing the NPS for 3-5 days in Sacramento this summer. This
unique interagency event is also a collaboration with Generation Green, a
USFS resource careers program for high school students in the Fresno area.
Please contact Jennifer_chapman@nps.gov for more information.(J. Chapman,
7/1/09)

Community News
The El Portal Market staff invites the community of El Portal to a thank
you party! 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, July 1, 2009 with short comments by
the Superintendent at 5:30 p.m. Come and celebrate the opening of the
store – sign up for the Coffee Club and get the El Portal Market travel mug
with an original logo by Ansley Rothell, sign up for a charge account and
enjoy cookies and punch provided by the Market. Hope to see you there!
(K.Kari 6/30/09)

Hot Buttered Rum and the Adam Burns Band will perform a special Fourth of
July weekend concert Sunday, July 5th at Mountain Sage in Groveland. Bring
a blanket or chair, a friend and your dancing shoes; this promises to be
one of the highlights of the summer music series. For more information or
advance tickets, call 962-4686 or visit www.mtnsage.com. (7/1/09)

Acting Designations
While I am away from the office on vacation from June 27, 2009, until July
13, 2009, Irma Keheley will be acting chief, office of human resources.
Please contact Irma at 209.379.1814 with any questions, concerns, etc.,
that you would normally direct to me. Thank you. (H. Whitman, 6/26/09)