Daily Report - Yosemite National Park Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Daily Report - Yosemite National Park
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
WEATHER
Yosemite Valley
Today: Sunny, with a high near 62.
Tonight: Clear, with a low around 41.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 70.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 70.
Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 55.
El Portal
Today: Sunny, with a high near 80.
Tonight: Clear, with a low around 48.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 87.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 87.
Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78.
Wawona
Today: Sunny, with a high near 68.
Tonight: Clear, with a low around 46.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 76.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 76.
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 63.
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CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
Foresta Road Closed Until Further Notice Between Barium Mine Road and Old El Portal
Due to safety concerns associated with the recent slide on the Foresta Road, it is now closed to all vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the intersection of the Barium Mine Road and Old El Portal. The road will remain closed until further notice. FHWA engineers will be onsite next week to assess the slide and the road stability. Middle Road will remain open between the intersection of the Foresta Road and CA State Highway 41 (Access to and from Middle Road will be limited to CA St. Hwy. 140). As further information becomes available, it will be updated in the Daily Report. If you have questions or concerns please contact Michael Pieper at (209) 379-1263 or (209) 742-8593. (M. Pieper - 3/30)
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A Different Foresta Road Closure
Foresta Road in front of the El Portal Waste Water Treatment Plant will be closed intermittently for helicopter operations associated with the Snow Survey. As always, you can use Spur Road to detour around the closure. The closure will be this Thursday from 8:00am to 5:00pm. (A. Rothell - 3/30)
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Traffic Delays on the El Portal Road
Traffic delays are scheduled to begin next week on the El Portal Road to stabilize a rock slide area near Dog Rock (Approx. 0.25 miles east of the western park entrance). The contractor is scheduled to begin work next Monday, April 4, 2011 with up to 30-minute delays (Except during the commuter hours of 6:30 and 8:30 AM in the mornings and 4:00 to 6:00 PM in the afternoon, when there will be a maximum of 15 minute delays.). They are planning to work from sun-up to sun-down, Monday thru Friday. The contractor will have one lane traffic control with flaggers. This project includes rock scaling and bolting to help stabilize an area that slid during the December 30, 2010 storm and again during last weeks storm event. There may be less delays the first day as they mobilize onsite. The current schedule is to have the work completed in a few weeks and prior to Easter. (M. Pieper - 3/29) (M. Pieper - 3/29)
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PARK AND PARK PARTNER NEWS
Badger Pass Snow Report - 3/30
Base Depth: 180”
Snow Conditions: Powder, Packed Powder
Temperature: High 62 Low 42
Runs Groomed: Bruin, Eagle, Beaver, Rabbit, Wild Cat, Chipmunk, Badger, Red Fox
Lifts Open: Turtle, Bruin, Eagle, Badger
Groomed XC trails: Fresh Tracks from Badger Pass to Glacier Point on Tuesday Evening March 29, 2011.
Tubing Hill: Two Sessions Per Day 11:30 – 1:30 & 2:00 – 4:00 (S. Costello - 3/30)
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Traffic Delays Scheduled on El Portal Road in Yosemite National Park - news release
Scott Gediman 209-372-0248
Kari Cobb 209-372-0529
Traffic delays are scheduled to begin on the El Portal Road (via Highway 140 through Mariposa) in Yosemite National Park on Monday, April 4, 2011 in order to stabilize a rockslide area. Traffic will be delayed up to 30 minutes at a time, from sunrise to sunset, Monday through Friday. A maximum 15 minute delay will take place during the commuting hours of 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The traffic delays will occur near Dog Rock (approximately 0.25 miles east of the Arch Rock Entrance Station) in order to stabilize a rockslide area. The project includes rock scaling and bolting to help stabilize an area that slid onto the roadway on December 30, 2010. Traffic delays are scheduled to conclude prior to the April 23 Easter weekend. (K. Cobb - 3/30)
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2011 National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Photo Contest Announced
The NNL program is seeking images highlighting the significant natural resources of the 586 designated Natural Landmarks nationwide. The top 13 winning photographs will appear in the 2012 National Natural Landmarks calendar, which will be a commemorative edition in honor of the NNL Program’s 50th Anniversary (1962-2012). Entrants, potentially including NNL landowners, the public as well as NPS employees, may submit up to three photographs to the contest, but each photograph must be from a different NNL site. In the case of the Pacific West Region you have 94 NNLs to choose from. However, images of the 13 NNL sites featured in large format in the 2011 calendar are not eligible for this year’s contest. These images can be found at http://www.nature.nps.gov/nnl/
As you are aware, National Natural Landmark sites are not units of the National Park System. While a few NNLs do occur within national park units, most sites are located within state, county or city parks, wildlife refuges, national forests, tribal or private lands. The NNL program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of our country’s natural history. It is the only natural areas program of national scope that identifies and honors the best examples of biological and geological features in both public and private ownership. The National Park Service partners with and supports landmark owners and managers in their conservation efforts. For official rules and entry form, please visit http://www.nature.nps.gov/nnl/
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How Have Animal Distributions Changed in Yosemite over the Past Century?
From 2003-2005, a historic vertebrate survey from the early 20th century was repeated in Yosemite National Park as a collaborative effort among the UC Berkeley Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, the National Park Service, and the USGS Yosemite Field Station. Results of this survey have just been published in a NPS Natural Resources Technical Report which can be accessed at the following url: http://science.nature.nps.gov/
While many species ranges’ have remained stable over this time period, this report presents evidence that numerous species of birds and small mammals have experienced range shifts. Some lower elevation animals have shown expansion into higher elevations, while some upper elevation animals have experienced range contractions – the lower boundaries of their ranges have shifted upward. These changes may be related to a variety of environmental changes, and more research will need to be done to identify specific causes for the changes observed.
The Yosemite vertebrate survey was part of the Sierra Nevada Network (SIEN) Inventory & Monitoring Program’s biological inventories conducted to fill in gaps in the information for vertebrates and vascular plants in SIEN parks (Devils Postpile National Monument, Sequoia & Kings Canyon, and Yosemite National Parks). For more information on SIEN Inventory & Monitoring projects, you can visit our website at: http://science.nature.nps.gov/
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ACTING DESIGNATIONS
Caitlin Lee-Roney will be acting Branch Chief of Wildlife Management on Tuesday, March 29, and Wednesday March 30.
Gus Smith will be acting Chief of Fire and Aviation through Wednesday, March 30. He can be reached on his cell phone - (209) 770-4776.
Ed Dunlavey will be the Acting Chief Ranger March 29-April 2. Charles Cuvelier can be reached by cell phone as necessary.
Ann Roberts (379-1383) will be acting Branch Chief of Environmental Planning and Compliance from Monday, March 28 to Friday, April 1.
Lena McDowall , our BRM Lead Concession Specialist, will be Acting Chief of Administration until April 1.
Jay Shields
will be Acting Mather District Ranger 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 call 379-1282 or 379-1104.
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COMMUNITY NEWS
Upcoming Mariposa Symphony Orchestra Concerts
The orchestra returns to the Ahwahnee Hotel's Great Lounge under Founding Music Director and Conductor Les Marsden on Sunday, April 10 for a 1:00pm matinee concert. The free concert, offered by special arrangement with concessionaire DNC Parks and Resorts at Yosemite Inc, the National Park Service, and (MSO parent organization) the Mariposa County Arts Council, Inc is a first-come, first-seated event that has resulted in standing room only over the past few years. This year, the orchestra is joined by special guest artist cellist Ira Lehn for a performance of Antonin Dvořák's b-minor Cello Concerto. The orchestra will also perform Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's 41st Symphony "Jupiter" and Paul Dukas' Fanfare pour précéder "La Péri." The concert will also be performed at 7:00 PM on Saturday, April 9 in the Fiester Auditorium of Mariposa County High School. Tickets for that concert are only $6 for adults, $4 for students and are available at the Mariposa County Arts Council, Inc. with further information available by calling (209) 966-3155. Tickets are also available at the Mariposa County Visitors Center across from the Miners Inn in Mariposa. Complete concert information is available at http://www.arts-mariposa.org/
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Condo For Rent
Private rental in Mariposa, 2 bedroom condo, good condition and clean. $875 a month, utilities included except electricity and phone. For additional information contact 818-889-1215. (C. Baker - 3/30)
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