Daily Report - Yosemite National Park Monday, January 23, 2012 The Rockslide Edition

Daily Report - Yosemite National Park
Monday, January 23, 2012
The Rockslide Edition

WEATHER

Yosemite Valley

Today: Rain and snow. Snow level 5100 feet. High near 37. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Tonight: A slight chance of rain and snow showers before midnight. Snow level 5500 feet. Cloudy, with a low around 26. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 47.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 58.

El Portal
Today: Rain and snow. Some thunder is also possible. Snow level 4900 feet. High near 44. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Tonight: A 20 percent chance of showers before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 18.
Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 54.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 63.

Wawona
Today: Rain and snow. Some thunder is also possible. Snow level 4900 feet. High near 44. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Tonight: A 20 percent chance of showers before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 18.
Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 54.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 63.

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PARK AND PARTNER NEWS

Breaking: Big Oak Flat Road Closed
Due to an overnight rockslide, the Big Oak Flat Road is closed from the Foresta Road junction to the El Portal Road junction. There is currently no access to Yosemite Valley from Highway 120. The rockslide has caused major road structural problems; a complete assessment will be made later today and more information will be subsequently provided. The road is closed indefinitely. (M. Holly - 1/23)
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Yosemite Rock Fall Year in Review: 2011

Although not as newsworthy as those of recent years, many significant rock falls occurred in Yosemite in 2011. Probably the most spectacular rock falls originated from the north face of Middle Cathedral rock in July. Three distinct rock falls occurred over a period of several weeks, with a total volume of about 120 cubic meters (about 325 tons). Witnesses in El Capitan Meadow captured impressive photos of the falls and subsequent dust clouds. Fortunately rock debris was contained to the talus slope beneath the cliff and did not affect nearby trails or roads. The Middle Cathedral rock falls occurred during very warm conditions and may have been triggered by thermal stresses. Ongoing monitoring by the National Park Service and U.S. Geological Survey indicates that air temperatures can cause partially-detached rock flakes to deform substantially on both daily and annual timescales.

Another area of notable rock falls in 2011 was Yosemite Falls. On 10 September 2011 a rectangular boulder 2 cubic meters in volume (6 tons) fell from below the upper Yosemite Falls Trail, shattered on a bedrock slab, and fell into the Lower Yosemite Falls amphitheater. Small rock fragments landed in the vicinity of the Lower Yosemite Falls footbridge, but there were no reported injuries. A second and much larger rock fall occurred on 28 October 2011, originating from near the lip of Upper Yosemite Falls. This block, about 20 cubic meters in volume (55 tons), fell from beneath an overhanging roof, skimmed the cliff, and then shattered on impact with the bedrock at the base of the upper falls. Off-trail hikers were present at the base of the falls but avoided injury.

The two most consequential rock falls in 2011 affected park roads. The largest event was not a true rock fall but rather a mass of broken rock and soil that slid onto Foresta Road between Old El Portal and Rancheria during the heavy rain and snow in late March 2011. The volume of this slide was about 1,200 cubic meters (about 3,200 tons). Foresta Road was closed for several weeks as the slide was cleared, and is presently closed again to accommodate engineering of the slope to reduce future slide potential. In the early morning of 7 November 2011, a large boulder (about 18 cubic meters, or 50 tons) and several smaller boulders tumbled from the north wall of the Merced Gorge just east of Arch Rock and embedded themselves in the El Portal Road. Following assessment of the source area, the boulders were removed and the road repaired in time for the morning commute into Yosemite Valley.

Other areas in Yosemite experiencing rock falls in 2011 include Royal Arches, Ahwiyah Point, Half Dome, Glacier Point, the Rockslides, and Hetch Hetchy. In all, there were 53 documented rock falls in 2011, with an approximate cumulative volume of 2,200 cubic meters (6,000 tons). This volume is comparable to the volume that fell in 2010 (2,900 cubic meters) but much smaller than what fell in 2009 (some 50,000 cubic meters); the volume in 2009 was dominated by the large Ahwiyah Point rock fall. Our database of rock falls and other geologic events in Yosemite, begun in 1857, now documents nearly 900 events, making it one of the longest and most detailed landslide databases in the world.

It is very likely that there were additional rock falls in 2011, but these events either were not witnessed or went unreported. If you witness a rockfall of any size, encounter fresh rock debris, or hear cracking or popping sounds emanating from the cliffs, please contact park geologist Greg Stock at (209) 379-1420, or at greg_stock@nps.gov, or contact Park Dispatch by dialing 911 within the park. Predicting rock falls is not yet possible, but understanding the events that do happen is an important step toward this goal. For more information on rock falls and rock fall research in Yosemite, please see the Park’s web page: http://www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience/rockfall.htm. (G. Stick - 1/23)
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Mist Trail Closure
Wilderness closed the Mist Trail from the John Muir Trail junction to the top of Vernal Fall on Friday, January 20 in advance of this weekend's storms. Vernal and Nevada Falls will still be accessible via the "winter route", using the lower John Muir Trail and upper Mist Trail. (M. Seiler - 1/23)
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NPS Mourns Loss of Diane Nicholson, Regional Curator
Diane Nicholson, Regional Curator of the Pacific West Region, passed away on January 3rd. Diane had many friends throughout the Service, including here in Yosemite. With 35 years in the National Park Service, almost all of which was in PWRO or Golden Gate NRA, Diane was a passionate advocate for the protection of museum and archive collections and professional management approaches. Having a M.S. degree from Texas Tech University’s museum science program, she brought a much needed level of expertise to the NPS program. Her mastery of museum policy, procedures and best practices was second to none.

Diane has been assisting the Yosemite museum program for decades, and was a member of the 2003 Yosemite Museum Management planning team, working under then Chief of Interpretation Chris Stein and Superintendent Mike Tollefson. She had returned numerous times since to lend support during the Yosemite Fund’s three-year Museum Master planning project. In 2011, she participated in the Value Analysis for El Portal warehouse rehabilitations. Her ability to focus in on the hard questions, while retaining a sense of teamwork and humor was widely known and respected.

Diane’s contribution will live on in so many reports, plans and projects--from the 2006 Curatorial facilities Strategy, to her advocacy on the museum management council, to the dozens of museum plans and projects, and all the curators and archivists she has inspired over the years.

We encourage you to visit either the Sharepoint site ( http://inpniscsfern1:8000/sites/PWR/PWRCR/Diane/SitePages/Home.aspx) or the Diane Nicholson-Celebration of Life Facebook page to share memories, photos, and stories about Diane, and see how she touched people throughout the National Park Service.

Plans are underway to celebrate Diane's life on Sunday, February 5, 1-4 p.m., at San Francisco Maritime NHP. David Louter, Martha Lee, Craig Kenkel, Cicely Muldoon, and Patty Neubacher are working on assembling a team to put this together, and more details will follow soon on this event.

Jonathon Bayless and Don Neubacher (D. Neubacher - 1/23)
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GSA Auction
The General Services Administration is conducting an internet auction of Yosemite personal property consisting of 4 military trailers and a derrick hoist. For further information regarding the sale items or to register to bid, visit the website gsaauctions.gov. Sale number 91QSCI12087 lots 312 through 316. The sale will close on January 30, 2012. An appointment must be made with Don Ramsey (379-1024) prior to inspection, no exceptions (serious bidders only). Park employees must view the items and bid on their own time. Park employees are allowed to participate in the sale, with the exception of any employee with unfair (nonpublic) detailed knowledge or prior use of an item offered for sale. Such employees are prohibited from bidding on that item, and the prohibition includes their immediate family as well. (D. Ramsey - 1/23)
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The 2012 Yosemite Group Volunteer Project Catalog Available
What is the Group Volunteer Catalog? Its a listing of all the great park projects available to groups wishing to volunteer and serve Yosemite. It can be found at http://www.nps.gov/yose/supportyourpark/volunteer.htm, or by simply contacting yose_volunteers@nps.gov and requesting one via email. Organized groups of all kinds - school, church, scouting, recreational and more - perform repair and restoration work, campground and building maintenance, litter removal, search and rescue functions, and assist numerous resource and science management projects. Last year over 7,000 group volunteers in more than 190 groups donated their service to Yosemite - an increase from just 140 groups in 2009! Take a look and see the volunteer opportunities for groups that the park has planned for the upcoming season. (B. Visnovske - 1/20)

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CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

Fire Management to Resume Debris Pile Burning in El Portal and Foresta
Yosemite fire management may resume hand pile burning in El Portal and Foresta with help from the forecasted rain. Localized flames and smoke will be visible but impacts should be negligible and short lived. In an ongoing effort, park, state and private fire crews have created forest debris hand piles in and around the communities of Foresta and El Portal. These piles are being made to reduce biomass and create a 'defensible space' fuel break around Yosemite's vulnerable Wildland Urban Interface communities. Additionally, thinning, piling and burning can restore fire dependant ecosystems and set the stage for the progressive management of future natural or prescribed fires. Please contact Kelly Singer @ 372-0413 or Taro Pusina @ 375-9576 with any questions. (T. Pusina - 1/20)
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Village Store Closed
The Village Store will be closed for remodeling beginning Tuesday, January 17th and will reopen on Thursday, February 16th @ Noon. (1/18)
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UPDATE - Foresta Road Closure thru 2/29/12 - Slide Repair Between Rancheria and Old El Portal
The current road closure along Foresta Road will continue thru the end of February 2012. Due to the unseasonably dry weather crews made good progress on the upper (cut) slope stabilization and it is nearly complete, however the steep slopes required much of the work to occur with hand labor, so they were not able to make as much progress as planned. The remaining work includes the final seeding and mulching along the upper slope, then installation of a retaining wall along the lower (fill) slope, and then the final curb and pavement repairs. (M. Pieper - 1/6)

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ACTING DESIGNATIONS

Erin "Echo" Davenport (379-1067) will be Acting Branch Chief of Environmental Planning and Compliance from Monday, January 23 to Friday, January 27.

Jack Hoeflich will be acting Valley District Ranger until further notice.

Julie Byerly will be acting Deputy Chief Ranger from January 2 for the next several weeks.

Andy Fristensky will be Acting Deputy Chief of Interpretive Operations until further notice. He may be reached at 372-0599.

Jeffrey Trust will be Acting Yosemite Valley Field Interpretation Supervisor until further notice. He may be reached at 372-0307.

Ron Watson will be the Acting Supervisory Information Technology Specialist until further notice. He may be reached at 379-1074.

Brenna Lissoway (379-1283) is on a detail as the Park Archivist. 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

Yosemite Child Care Center Hiring
The Yosemite National Park Child Care Center is looking for a kind, loving, fun professional and creative person to be our Lead Teacher at the Yosemite Valley center. We are committed to providing the highest quality child care and preschool education to the children of Yosemite Valley and would love to have you as part of our team! Our benefits package includes annual leave and sick leave. Position is full time at $13.50 per hour. For further information, please call (209)769-1512 or email lauriecyu@hotmail.com. (L. Yu - 1/23)
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Midpines Rental
Secure, quiet and in a very private location for the single person. 35 Ft Motor Home, twin pullouts, lots of space, no furniture required, move in ready, fully self-contained, color TV's front and back. Located on private lot setup to receive Satellite TV, telephone service and electricity. Propane for heating, cooking and hot water' A/C for them hot summer months. $500 Monthly Rent, Contact Tom Standen at 379-1121 or 966-5641. (Y. Radanovich - 1/23)
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Yoga is back at the Wellness Center
Starting next week we will offer FREE Yoga classes from the Wellness Center on Monday's at 6am, Thursday's at 9am, and Friday's at 6pm. If there is interest, we can add a Sunday class as well. Please bring your suggestions to Mr. Van Tate, your friendly neighborhood Yoga instructor and Employee Recreation staff member. (E. Brosk - 1/20)

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Daily Report - Yosemite National Park Monday, January 23, 2012 The Rockslide Edition