Yosemite Photos, Video and News

Daily Report - Yosemite National Park
Thursday, May 27, 2010

Weather

Yosemite Valley

Today: Rain and snow showers likely. Some thunder is also possible. Snow
level 5000 feet. Cloudy, with a high near 52. South southwest wind between
10 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is
70%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Tonight: Rain and snow showers likely. Snow level 5200 feet lowering to
4800 feet. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 31. Southwest wind between 7
and 13 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Friday: A chance of rain and snow showers. Snow level 5000 feet. Mostly
cloudy, with a high near 58. South southwest wind 6 to 9 mph becoming west
northwest. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Little or no snow accumulation
expected.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low
around 30. Blustery, with a north wind 9 to 12 mph increasing to between 21
and 24 mph. Winds could gust as high as 37 mph.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 73. Northeast wind between 10 and
20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 40.

El Portal
Today: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with a high near
57. South southwest wind between 6 and 13 mph, with gusts as high as 20
mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Tonight: Showers likely, mainly before 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low
around 36. South wind between 8 and 11 mph becoming calm. Chance of
precipitation is 70%.
Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly before 11am. Mostly cloudy,
with a high near 63. South southeast wind at 8 mph becoming west northwest.

Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37. Breezy, with a north
wind 9 to 12 mph increasing to between 22 and 25 mph. Winds could gust as
high as 38 mph.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 78. East northeast wind 8 to 17 mph
becoming northwest. Winds could gust as high as 26 mph.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 41.

Wawona
Today: Rain and snow showers likely, becoming all rain after 11am. Some
thunder is also possible. Snow level 5100 feet. Cloudy, with a high near
54. South southwest wind between 7 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 23
mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. Little or no snow accumulation
expected.
Tonight: Rain showers likely before 11pm, then a chance of rain and snow
showers. Snow level 5000 feet. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 34.
Southwest wind between 3 and 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. Little
or no snow accumulation expected.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 61.
South southeast wind 6 to 8 mph becoming west.
Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 34. Breezy, with a north
northwest wind 7 to 10 mph increasing to between 20 and 23 mph. Winds could
gust as high as 34 mph.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 75. East wind 7 to 16 mph becoming west
northwest. Winds could gust as high as 24 mph.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 38.

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Happening Today
Construction Update:
Wawona Road Construction - Up to 30-minute delays. Today's work will be
located just south of the Wawona Tunnel. Additional delays may occur at the
junction of Glacier Point Road (Chinquapin) due to ongoing construction for
the Glacier Point Road Project. No work will occur Friday, May 28 - Monday,
May 31 during the holiday weekend. Work will resume Monday, May 31 at 11pm.

Utilities Project (Yosemite Valley) - Mozingo Construction the Integrated
Utilities Management Project (IUMP) 3B contractor will be working south of
the Ahwahnee Hotel on removing abandoned utilities.

Yosemite Valley - Allison Sierra construction will be working on the
installation of new water, power and sewer lines in the Lower Tecoya area.

Wawona Tunnel - Candelaria construction will be working in the Wawona
Tunnel on the new fire alarm system. (M. Ortiz - 5/27/10)

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Barite Mine Work Underway in El Portal
Contractors are beginning to work on mitigating hazards at the Barite Mine
in El Portal. The prime contractor is Sygnos, and Arizona Mine Reclamation
is a sub-contractor. Rancheria Flat residents may see contractor vehicles
parked at the top of the housing area, near the water tank; contractors
have been asked to drive carefully in the housing areas. This Recovery
Act-funded project is expected to be complete by July 4. If you have any
questions or concerns, please contact Joe Meyer at 379-1185. (J. Meyer -
5/26/10)
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Park and Partner News
Yosemite News Release Media Contacts: Scott Gediman 209-372-0248
and/or Kari Cobb 209-372-0529
May 26, 2010 -- For Immediate Release

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK EXPECTS BUSY MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

Visitors to Yosemite National Park over the Memorial Day holiday weekend
should expect the park to be busy. People planning trips into the park are
strongly encouraged to arrive before 10:00 a.m. or after 2:00 p.m. to avoid
long waits at the entrance stations. Visitors may also choose to ride the
Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (www.yarts.com), which picks
up in multiple locations along Highway 140 from Merced and provides
multiple drop-off locations throughout Yosemite Valley. Once visitors
arrive in the park, they are urged to ride the free shuttle throughout
Yosemite Valley, utilize the bike paths, or walk.

All campgrounds on the reservation system are full. There are a very
limited number of first-come, first-served campsites available throughout
the park. Visitors should arrive early to secure a campsite. All trails
within Yosemite are open, however some may still have snow patches and ice
present on the trail. Hikers should be aware that spring weather can be
unpredictable and change without warming.

The Glacier Point Road will open for the season on Friday, May 28, at noon.
Due to ice and avalanche conditions, the Tioga Road will not be open for
Memorial Day weekend. There is no projected opening date for the Tioga
Road. The Mariposa Grove Road is open. However, visitors should be aware
that the parking lot fills quickly and there is a free shuttle bus service
from Wawona to the Mariposa Grove.

The Half Dome cables will not be in place for the Memorial Day weekend.
This is due to the amount of snow still remaining on Half Dome and the
trail to the Half Dome cables. There is no projected time for the Half
Dome cables to be in place.

Yosemite National Park has received above average precipitation this year,
with the snowpack at 115% of average. The park’s waterfalls are
spectacular and the peak flow is expected the first week of June.

Visitors within the park should be aware of high water level and fast
moving water in the Merced River and other streams. With the increasingly
warm weather, snow in the high-country continues to melt and fill the
Merced River. Extreme caution is important when in proximity to any moving
water.

Visitors are urged to drive slowly within the park. With the warmer
weather, animals are more active and are prevalent along the roadways. (S.
Gediman & K. Cobb - 5/26/10)
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Hazard Tree Mitigation
The park forestry crews plan to resume tree hazard mitigation work, weather
permitting, along the Big Oak Flat road between Rattlesnake creek and the
Crane Flat intersection on Tuesday 6/1. The tree work is part of the Big
Meadow fire burned area emergency rehabilitation. Trees that were killed by
last years fire and that have been determined to be a hazard to the public,
employees or the road will be mitigated. Traffic control will be in place
and delays can be expected.The Big Oak Flat Entrance can expect surges of
traffic exiting the park in 15 to 20 minute intervals. This work will
continue for 2 to 3 weeks.

For additional information, contact Butch Castro at 379-1968. (B. Castro -
5/26/10)
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The Valley Floor Tour has a new supplemental audio tour in Spanish
Visitors may use the Spanish supplement while they take the Valley Floor
Tour. The supplement consists of 18 separate audio files combined to
enhance the experience of the visitor whose native language may be Spanish.
Visitors will receive an iPod with an informational pamphlet on how to use
the equipment and when to play each section.

The script was created in collaboration with the NPS Division of
Interpretation and Education. The translation services and recording
services were completed via internet firms with the final product also
delivered via the internet, so there was no travel involved.

There is no additional charge for visitors wishing to use this exciting new
offering. Please share this information with your staff and the public. For
more information please contact Gary Rosenfeld at 209/372-8331. (G.
Rosenfeld - 5/26/10)
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Training Opportunity: The Planning Division is hosting a week long training
program for Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification &
Preparation Workshop
This week long training program offers a practical approach to project
management and will prepare non-certified professionals to take and pass
the PMP certification exam. The vendor guarantees that you will pass or
you will receive a full refund. Call Doyle Harrison for details.

Course Dates/Class Hours: Monday-Friday, June 7-11, 2010 8:00 am to
5:00 pm

Tuition: $875.00 per person

To sign up for this course please contact Doyle Harrison at 379-1110 or
email at doyle_harrison@nps.gov

THERE ARE ONLY THREE SEATS LEFT IN THIS TRAINING WORKSHOP (D. Harrison -
5/26/10)

Acting Designations

Katariina Tuovinen will be Acting Deputy Superintendent May 24-31, 2010.
She can be reached at 372-0286. (R. Soden - 5/24/10)
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David Pettebone (379-1433) will be Acting Branch for Visitor Use and Social
Sciences on Thursday, May 27th. I can also be reached on my cell
throughout the day. (B. Meldrum - 5/27/10)
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Craig Anthony will be acting Safety Officer May 24-28 while Roger Farmer is
attending training. (C. Ronay - 5/25/10)
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Until further notice, Lorene Schafer (379-1873) will be the Acting Chief
for Contracting and Procurement . If you have contracting related
questions and don't already have a point of contact, please call Helli
Tucker at 379-1368. Please continue to route purchase request (PR)
packages to Lorene for Acquisition Approval in IDEAS.
****************************************************
Ed Dunlavey will be the acting Operations Branch Chief and Deputy Chief
Ranger until further notice.
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Cindy Whitten will be the acting Human Resources Officer until further
notice - 209/379-1878.
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Employee News

Community News
Memorial Day Church Service: Our Lady of the Snows Parish will celebrate a
Memorial Day Mass at 10:00 a.m., Monday, May 31, in the Blessed Sacrament
Chapel of the Rectory, 9006 Cedar Ct. There will be special remembrance of
those who have died in the park during the past year at the Mass. For more
information or to include someone in the Mass call 372-4729. After the Mass
a prayer will be offered at the cemetery for all who are buried there. (A.
Janelli - 5/27/10)
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Evening with an Artist in Wawona
The Wawona Friends of the Bassett Memorial Library will be hosting an
Evening with the Artist, with local artist, Shirley Spencer, on Tuesday,
June 1 at 7 p.m. in the library.

Shirley Spencer has lived and worked in the Sierra Nevada since 1979.
Shirley’s Yosemite experience began in 1989 where she spent the next twenty
years teaching at the Yosemite Institute. In addition to Yosemite, she
regularly instructs and interprets at several other locations, including
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and Canyonlands and Arches National
Parks.

Another component of Shirley’s connection with the natural world is
creating art. Painting and drawing landscape scenes and botanical
renditions, in a variety of artistic mediums, add depth and interest to her
Natural History presentations. Her book Flowering Shrubs of Yosemite and
the Sierra Nevada was published by Heyday Books in the spring of 2009.
This publication includes 40 of her original watercolors and scientific
descriptions of each plant.

Shirley has been creating art since she was a small girl. The variety of
mediums that she has experimented with includes chalk and oil pastel, pen
and ink, charcoal, scratchboard, oil, acrylic, and watercolor. Primarily
her art interests have been in rendering wilderness landscapes and
botanicals utilizing watercolor. Art is the way she expresses her love for
the natural world. Shirley hopes that you will enjoy these watercolor
paintings on exhibit at the Wawona Bassett Memorial Library that are
created with attention to botanical accuracy and fine detail.

Shirley is also a talented vocalist and enjoys performing with her guitar.
She recorded and produced a musical compact disc with her vocals and guitar
during the summer of 2008.

Please join the Wawona Friends of the Bassett Memorial Library in welcoming
Shirley Spencer on Tuesday, June 1 at 7 p.m. in the library. There is no
admission charge and refreshments will be served. (P. Sischo - 5/27/10)
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6TH STREET CINEMA
Located upstairs in the historic Old Masonic Lodge (under historic
renovation) on 6th Street in downtown Mariposa. Use the path alongside the
scaffolding on the side of the building to enter. Entrance is $7 per film
for non-members; non-member students pay $5. Monthly membership is $12
allowing film entry for $3 each. Special performances and broadcasts have
alternate pricing structures. Recorded Information: (209) 966-1333. Staff:
209 742-6666. Visit our website: http://www.sixthstreetcinema.org or e-mail
us: sixthstreetcinema@sti.net
This week:
May 27 (Thursday) 7:30 p.m. Dispatches from the TED Festival (FREE
ADMISSION)
The TED Festival brings together the best and brightest our culture
has to offer to give the 20 min. (or less) talk of their lives. This
month, William Li presents a new way to think about treating cancer
and other diseases: anti-angiogenesis, preventing the growth of blood
vessels that feed a tumor. Eve Ensler tells heartfelt stories of
girls around the world who have overcome shocking adversity and
violence to reveal the astonishing strength of being a girl. At TED
University, Jonathan Klein of Getty Images shows some of the most
iconic photographs, and talks about what happens when a generation
sees an image so powerful it can't look away -- or back. Natalie
Merchant sings from her new album, "Leave Your Sleep." Lyrics from
near-forgotten 19th-century poetry pair with her unmistakable voice
for a performance that brought the TED audience to its feet.

May 28-29 (Friday-Saturday) 7:30 p.m.: DAMNED UNITED. A movie about
soccer that doesn't spend a lot of time on the field, this film by
the award winning director/writer team Tom Hopper and Peter Morgan,
tells the true story of two coaches who turn around a third rate
British soccer club into division champs. (Rated R; 99 minutes). (T.
Arfsten - 5/26/10)
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Groveland this Week:
5/27-5/30 Strawberry Music Festival at Camp Mather (Evergreen Road),
near Yosemite info@strawberrymusic.com 209-984-8630. This festival has
run for decades, Groveland children are brought up on Bluegrass & Jazz
and have a passion for outdoor music venues!

5/28 & 29 Ben Benkerk Live at the Iron Door Saloon
www.iron-door-saloon.com 209-962-5947. The Iron Door Saloon offers just
the greatest ambiance with a bunch of beers on tap, good live dance
music on Friday and Saturday nights...a great way to wind down from a
day of hiking.

5/28 A Tribute to the Legends: Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennet & Nat King
Cole at the Yosemite Courtyard Theater peggy@groveland.com. The Yosemite
Courtyard Theater presents outdoor concerts featuring tribute bands
honoring some classic artists. Pair these concerts with dinner in town
for a great evening of good food and fine outdoor entertainment. Just
like a big city!

5/29 Detours at the Grill at Pine Mountain Lake
clubmgr@pinemountainlake.com Bambi/Jay 209-962-8638. Live dance music
every Saturday night at the Club, this is really becoming the place to
"hang out" after dinner!

5/30 Memorial Day Celebratoin BBQ and Dance PML Stables sponsored by the
Fire Department $14 adults, $7 kids Live Music by The Watering Hole. The
Fire Department will sell water and soda, PML 19th Hole Lounge will sell
Beer and Wine. Serving from 3-8pm, to-go dinners also available. (Hotel
Charlotte - 5/26/10)