Yosemite Photos, Video and News

Daily Report - Yosemite National Park
Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Weather

Yosemite Valley
Today: Sunny, with a high near 77. East southeast wind 7 to 9 mph becoming
west.
Tonight: Clear, with a low around 47. West northwest wind at 7 mph becoming
east northeast.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 77. East southeast wind around 8 mph
becoming west southwest.

El Portal

Today: Sunny, with a high near 90. East wind 5 to 9 mph becoming west
southwest.
Tonight: Clear, with a low around 51. North northwest wind between 5 and 8
mph.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 90. East wind around 8 mph becoming
southwest.

Wawona
Today: Sunny, with a high near 88. East wind 5 to 9 mph becoming west.
Tonight: Clear, with a low around 40. West wind at 7 mph becoming east
northeast.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 87. East wind around 7 mph becoming west
southwest.

Tuolumne Meadows Area
Today: Sunny, with a high near 65. South southeast wind 5 to 7 mph becoming
west.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 32. West wind between 4 and 7 mph
becoming calm.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 64. Calm wind becoming southwest between
8 and 11 mph.

Happening Today

Administration Division staff will be attending a division meeting in
Yosemite Valley, today, October 13, 2010.

Assistance from the IT Help Desk will be available at (209) 379-1123,
however, all other Administration offices will be closed, from
approximately 7:45 am to 12:00 noon, while staff are attending the meeting.
(A. Long, 10/13)

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Construction Update

Tioga Trailheads Project (Beginning October 4, weather dependent)
Allison Sierra Inc. (contractor) will begin work when possible (weather
dependent) at the Yosemite Creek/Ten Lakes Trailhead. At that time they
plan to close off the whole parking lot to rehabilitate these areas. Hikers
will be directed to the nearest parking areas which are very close by.

The purpose of this project is to address site maintenance and design needs
that improve visitor safety and experience while protecting natural and
cultural resources.

There are eight formal trailheads included in this project: Gaylor Lakes at
Tioga Pass, Mono Pass, Snow Creek, May Lake/Weston Pond, Porcupine,
Yosemite Creek/Ten Lakes, Lukens Lake, and Tamarack Flat/Aspen Valley. This
effort does not include Sunrise or Murphy Creek trailheads (Tenaya Lake
Area Plan), nor Dog Lake and Cathedral Lakes (Tuolumne River Plan) as these
are addressed in other planning efforts.

This year work will occur on the following trailhead areas. Work will
continue this fall until they complete all of the following locations or
until weather forces an end to the work. Next year's work will include the
remaining trailhead segments within this project as listed above.

2010
1.) Yosemite Creek/Ten Lakes(Beginning October 4, 2010)
2.) Gaylor Lakes
3.) Snow Creek
4.) May Lake Turnoff
5.) Tamarack Flat/Aspen Valley
(M. Ortiz -10 /7/10)
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Wawona Utility River Crossing Replacement (September 13 through November
30, 2010)

No update.

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Hetch Hetchy Entrance Station Improvements (August 16 - November 2010)
Abide International (contractor) began work Monday, August 16 to upgrade
the Hetch Hetchy Entrance Station. Work will last approximately three
months. Expect slight delays at the kiosk during this time. The entrance
will be upgraded with new area lighting, a new security camera system, new
doors and reconditioned windows, and new HVAC system along with other
improvements that will bring the entrance station up to date in energy
efficiency and security. (M. Ortiz - 8/30/10)
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El Portal Complex Photovoltaic (PV) System ( July 22, 2010 - December 2010)

Paragon Industrial Applications (PIA) [contractor] began work at the El
Portal Complex area on July 22, 2010. To minimize potential traffic and
parking problems, PIA is working Thursday - Sunday.

Parking: Between Thursday, October 14th and Sunday, October 17th, the
parking area on top of the garage/parking structure will need to be cleared
of vehicles so that the Contractor can continue painting the adjacent
overhead structures. In addition, please do not park in the areas where the
contractor has set up yellow caution tape with "no parking" signs for the
same period.

There has been over 700 panels installed so far with over 2,000 to go!
(M. Ortiz - 10/7/10)
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Wawona Road Rehabilitation (May 3 - November 2010):
**Please use caution when driving along the Wawona Road - there are a
number of locations with unpaved surfaces.

**Today's locations of work: There will be placement of concrete curb in
the area that begins approximately a half mile north of the South Entrance
to a mile north of the Wawona Campground. There will also be grading in
the bus turnout at Wawona as well as in turnouts that begin a mile north of
the Wawona Campground to the Glacier Point Road intersection (Chinquapin).
Tomorrow, there will be grading of turnouts in the same area.

**Tonight's locations of work: There will be paving in the area that begins
approximately a mile south of Wawona and runs to a mile north of the Wawona
Campground, as well as paving turnouts in the area that begins 6 miles
south of the Glacier Point Road intersection (Chinquapin) to the Wawona
Tunnel.

**Tomorrow's locations of work: There will be grading in the same areas
described above.

-For all Yosemite road construction information and updates, visit the
park's website: http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/roadwork.htm

-For daily traffic control updates, call the park information line at (209)
372-0200 (then press 1, and 1 again). (M. Ortiz - 10/14/10)
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Integrated Utility Master Plan [IUMP] (to be completed by the end of 2010)
River Crossing and Meadow Work Underway - Removal of Old, Abandoned
Utilities Embedded in the River and Within Meadows
Mozingo Construction (contractor) is currently working on the river
crossing - related portions of the project this week. You are likely to see
work near the Stoneman Bridge area (across from Curry Village). Work with
heavy machinery will begin each day at 9:00am - and travel through areas
such as Lower Pines Campground, North Pines Campground, Housekeeping Camp
will be essential in accessing the river during certain portions of this
project.

There are 8 different areas through the river corridor where contractors
will be removing abandoned utilities pipes and materials. These pipes are
embedded into the river, therefore it is a delicate process to remove them.
Contractors will work to minimize turbidity in the river during this
process and will be monitoring turbidity levels. Work will occur over the
next 2 months through mid-October.

Other Areas of Work (both current and upcoming) include:
Areas within Ahwahnee Meadow
Areas within Stoneman Meadow
(M. Ortiz - 10/7/10)
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Wawona Meadow Restoration (through November 2010). The south side of the
Wawona Meadow Loop trail will be closed from 7:00am to 5:30 pm Monday
through Friday during meadow restoration. This temporary closure is likely
to be in effect through November, 2010. (M.Ortiz 10/07/10)

Park and Partner News

Anyone having information about 10" X 4" silver bricks that are duct taped
and being held in place by rocks located along the PCT near Soda Springs
please call me. The information will be passed to the rangers in the area
who are being asked by visitors what the silver bricks are for. Thank you.
(D. Smith, 10/13)

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Volunteer Hours due by October 15 COB
While we ask for volunteer hours to be reported monthly throughout the
year, we know that people get busy and may not send them in each month.
Now it's crunch time. We must report our fiscal year volunteer hours by
the end of October, and since we typically get more than half the hours
turned in to us during October, there's a lot of data entry and math to do
before then. As our funding is determined based on the number of volunteers
we have and the hours they work, it is critical for us to get these hours
turned in.

Please report your FY10 volunteer hours that have not been previously
reported to the volunteer office by COB on Friday, October 15.

How:
ONLY if your volunteer is getting reimbursement: an original timesheet
filled out in pen/computer and signed by the supervisor must be sent to the
VIP office.
All other volunteers, the supervisor can mail, fax, or email the
volunteer's (or list of VIPs) name(s) and hours total for the year (or, if
you have them, by the month).
Email: yose_volunteers@nps.gov (email from Supv. counts as certification of
hours)
Fax: Attn: Volunteer Office, 379-1853 (please sign the fax)
interoffice mail: Volunteer Office, El Portal (please sign the timesheet(s)

Please feel free to call either Heather or Lindsey at 379-1850 with any
questions. (H. Boothe, 10/13).

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Several large rock falls occurred from near the East Buttress of El Capitan
on October 11, 2010. The first rock fall occurred around 11:30 am, and was
followed about three minutes later by a much larger rock fall. A third
smaller fall occurred at around 1 pm.

All three rock falls detached about halfway up the far eastern side of the
southeast face of El Capitan, roughly along the path that Horsetail Falls
takes when flowing. Rock debris hit a prominent ledge beneath the cliff
and fragmented into smaller boulders, producing substantial dust; the dust
cloud produced by the second impact was visible throughout Yosemite Valley.
Boulders did reach the base of the cliff, but did not impact any trails or
roads. Although there were many climbers on El Capitan at the time, there
do not appear to have been any injuries associated with these rock falls.
However, climbers are cautioned that future rock falls from this area are
possible.

Geologists are still investigating these events and are mapping the size of
the failures in detail, but preliminary estimates suggest the volume
exceeded 1000 cubic meters, making this the largest rock fall thus far in
2010.

More information is also available on the Yosemite NPS website:
http://www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience/rockfall.htm(G.Stock 10/12/10)
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Flu Shot Clinic: The Yosemite Medical Clinic will be hosting it annual flu
shot clinic from 10:00AM to 2:00 PM. on Wednesday, October 13, 2010 at the
Yosemite Medical Clinic, Sunroom. The flu vaccine is open to all with no
Restrictions. Persons 65 or older, chronic medical conditions and women
whowill be more than 12 weeks pregnant are encouraged to get vaccinated.
The
cost is still only $20.00 for this date only.

Take everyday actions to stay healthy .Cover your nose and mouth with a
tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you
use it. Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you
cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective. Avoid
touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way. Stay home if you
get sick. CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit
contact with others to keep from infecting them. Review the CDC web site
for current accurate information http://www.cdc.gov/flu/ (S.Pence10/12/10)
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Yosemite Employee Association Board Elections is coming up. If you or
anyone you know is interested in becoming a Board member contact any Board
member. It is a year-long commitment with approximately 1 meeting every 2
months, Sal's every other Thursday, and 4 seasonal events: Oktoberfest,
Winter Social, St. Patrick's Day, and Spring Fling.Also, please visit our
Facebook page: YEA Yosemite Yosemite El Portal
President: Claudine Ronay
Vice President: Tori Seher
Treasurer: Mara Dale
Assistant Treasurer: Romina Pasten
Secretary: Sean Pence
Board Members At Large: Joe Toska & Lonnie Lawhon (M.Dale 10/12/10)
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Acting Designations

Adrienne Freeman will be the acting Branch Chief for Interpretive Services
from Oct. 13-22. (M. Kline, 10/13)
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While Dave Humphrey is out for shoulder surgery and the associated
recuperation - Oct. 13 thru Oct. 18, 2010; Historical Landscape Architect
Daniel Schaible (379-1295) will be acting Branch Chief for History,
Architecture & Landscapes (HAL).
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Jay Shields will be Acting Mather District Ranger from 10/12 until sometime
the week of October 18th. (K.Killian 10/12/10)
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Bret Meldrum (379-1216) will be Acting Chief of Resources Management and
Science October 12 to 15.(N.S. Nicholas 10/12/10)
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Elexis Mayer will be Acting Division Chief of Project Management beginning
Tuesday, October 12, 2010, through Friday, October 15, 2010. Elexis may be
reached at 379-1377 or if she is unavailable, you may leave a message with
Cheri Murdock at 379-1138.(S.J.Henderson)
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Katariina Tuovinen will be acting Superintendent on Tuesday, October 12 and
Wednesday October 13, 2010. She can be reached at 209-372-0201.
Tom Medema will be acting Deputy Superintendent on Tuesday, October 12 and
Wednesday October 13, 2010. He can be reached at 209-379-0332. (M.Thornley
10/12/10)
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Jun Kinoshita is Acting Branch Chief for Anthropology beginning Friday
October 1 through October 15. (L. Kirn - 10/1/10)
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Walt Schmidt will be the Acting Branch Chief for Contracting & Procurement
through 5 November 2010. If you have contracting related questions, don't
already have a point of contact, and aren't able to find the information
you need at our SharePoint site (
http://sharepoint.yose.nps.gov/admn/contract/default.aspx) please call Tom
Tobin at 379-1040. (L. Schafer - 9/7/2010)
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Until further notice, Brenna Lissoway (379-1283) will be the Acting Park
Archivist while Paul Rogers is on a detail as the Acting Regional Archivist
(PWR). If you have need to access the Archives, or have archive related
questions, you can also try calling at 379-1282 or 379-1104. (J. Bayless -
6/3/10)
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Ed Dunlavey will be the acting Operations Branch Chief and Deputy Chief
Ranger until further notice. (C.Cuvelier 09/07/10)

Employee News

No submissions.

Community News

Serra Webber Benefit Fundraiser
The Yosemite Valley School is hosting a Give-What-You-Can Fundraiser for
Serra Webber, the little girl injured in a rock fall incident last week.
This will take place at the Yosemite Valley School on Thursday, October 14
th from 5-6:30pm. A pasta dinner will be served thanks to a generous
donation by DNC. If you have any questions you can contact YVS at 372-4791.
Donations can also be mailed to YVS at PO 485, Yosemite, CA 95389. Checks
Payable to YVS PTG. Thank you. (C. Archer, 10/13)
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Yosemite Winter Club Ski/Winter Sport Swap -- Friday, November 19 from
12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the Auditorium. Sell your used skis, snowshoes,
skates, sleds and winter sports gear. Tables rent for $20. To rent a
table contact Art Baggett -- baggett.art@gmail.com. Table set-up will
begin at 11:00 a.m. Please remember to take home any unsold items. At
3:00 p.m. enjoy free ice skating at the Curry Village Ice Rink (weather
permitting). Afterward attend the YWC Dinner Dance at The Loft starting at
5:30 p.m. Enjoy free pizza, Caesar salad and dessert with paid membership
-- adults $15 and children $10! EVERYONE WELCOME!!!!

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6TH STREET CINEMA is located upstairs in the historic Old Masonic Lodge
(under historic renovation) on 6th Street in downtown Mariposa. 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

October 15 - 16 (Friday - Saturday) 7:30 P.M.: I AM LOVE. (In Italian,
Russian and English, with English subtitles.)