WawonaNews.com - August 2023
Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment
The contractor has completed work in Wawona and in Yosemite Valley. However, vehicle chargers are not available until the units can be energized and commissioning is complete. Until further notice, working charging stations are limited to eight at Yosemite Valley Lodge, two at the Ahwahnee Hotel, one at the Village Store, and two between the El Portal market and gas station. (J. Donovan)
The contractor has completed work in Wawona and in Yosemite Valley. However, vehicle chargers are not available until the units can be energized and commissioning is complete. Until further notice, working charging stations are limited to eight at Yosemite Valley Lodge, two at the Ahwahnee Hotel, one at the Village Store, and two between the El Portal market and gas station. (J. Donovan)
Wawona and Yosemite Valley Wildfire Protection Project
As part of an ongoing hazardous fuels reduction project to protect communities, increase forest resilience, and decrease risk to firefighters and the public, small trees and dead and down wood will be removed in Wawona and Yosemite Valley. In Wawona, material north of the south fork of the Merced River on NPS land and private property through a partnership with Mariposa County Resource Conservation District. In Yosemite Valley, crews will be working along North Side Drive between Middle Brother and El Capitan picnic area and between El Capitan woodlot and Pohono Bridge. Actions within Yosemite Valley are in preparation of prescribed fire. Material is either piled to be burned later or transported for carbon capture where it is used for wood products, electricity generation, or used as fill in restoration projects. (G. Dickman)
As part of an ongoing hazardous fuels reduction project to protect communities, increase forest resilience, and decrease risk to firefighters and the public, small trees and dead and down wood will be removed in Wawona and Yosemite Valley. In Wawona, material north of the south fork of the Merced River on NPS land and private property through a partnership with Mariposa County Resource Conservation District. In Yosemite Valley, crews will be working along North Side Drive between Middle Brother and El Capitan picnic area and between El Capitan woodlot and Pohono Bridge. Actions within Yosemite Valley are in preparation of prescribed fire. Material is either piled to be burned later or transported for carbon capture where it is used for wood products, electricity generation, or used as fill in restoration projects. (G. Dickman)
WTPAC Meeting Friday, August 11
There will be a WTPAC (Wawona Town Planning Advisory Committee) meeting on Friday, August 11 at 9am at the Redwoods. It is open to the public, so if you are in Wawona and want to attend, you can do that.
It will not be available online, but Katy Jacobson (WAPPOA secretary) will be there and will take notes, which I will send out.
Gene Spindler, the chair of the committee, told me that he expects to be talking about the potential change in the MOU between the County, the Park, and Wawona - concerning water and sewer availability.
Also, the County has finished their search for a new contract for trash and recycling (and pine needle pick-up, we hope) and will present findings.
The County study on STRs (short-term rentals) is not finished but they will present what they have and discuss.
There should be an agenda out next week, which I can pass on.
Trish Peterson
There will be a WTPAC (Wawona Town Planning Advisory Committee) meeting on Friday, August 11 at 9am at the Redwoods. It is open to the public, so if you are in Wawona and want to attend, you can do that.
It will not be available online, but Katy Jacobson (WAPPOA secretary) will be there and will take notes, which I will send out.
Gene Spindler, the chair of the committee, told me that he expects to be talking about the potential change in the MOU between the County, the Park, and Wawona - concerning water and sewer availability.
Also, the County has finished their search for a new contract for trash and recycling (and pine needle pick-up, we hope) and will present findings.
The County study on STRs (short-term rentals) is not finished but they will present what they have and discuss.
There should be an agenda out next week, which I can pass on.
Trish Peterson
The Future
By GREG LITTLE Editor | July 27, 2023 - Mariposa Gazzette
In many ways, the issues concerning Yosemite National Park are akin to the park itself — both are the 800 pound gorillas in the room.
From ridiculous wait times to get inside to no parking to crowded trails, the issues at Yosemite are many — and nothing new.
Yet it seems this year, things went from bad to worse because of many factors. The biggest factor in drawing people to the park was the amount of precipitation which fell this winter that led to waterfalls running like gangbusters well past the normal time. Waterfalls are one of the most sought-after features at the park by visitors.
But that was coupled with the fact Glacier Point Road was just reopened because of that heavy winter and Tioga Road opened just last weekend because of the massive amount of snow that fell on the popular highway.
Both of those led to headaches for visitors because of the overcrowding — even more than usual — in Yosemite Valley.
This all comes in the midst of the park’s major undertaking of developing a new visitor access management plan. That work has been underway for quite some time but will not come to a conclusion until the end of 2024.
As part of this process, there have been various public meetings, other public input and a lot of discussion at local coffee shops about what the future holds for one of the most iconic parks in the world.
The final decision will also have major impacts on the many communities considered gateways to the park, where businesses and just about everyone else rely on the tourists to sustain their local economies. That is especially true in Mariposa County, where transient occupancy tax collections are the highest per-capita in the tourist-heavy state of California.
With all of that said, last week, park officials held another public meeting to give an update on where the process stands as well as to take public input — of which there was a lot. The meeting was held virtually with many questions from the public; so many they could not all be answered.
“Crowding and congestion is, of course, a decades-long issue at Yosemite which has grown worse over the years,” said Cicely Muldoon, the park superintendent.
She said the results of this effort are “intended to find lasting solutions.”
Dr. Rachel Collins, the project manager from the National Park Service Visitor Use Management division in Denver, led off the discussion.
She laid out the framework for why the effort is happening, pointing to enhancing opportunities for visitors and implementing “effective visitor use management” to improve experiences as well as protect the resources at Yosemite.
Kathleen Morse, division chief for strategic planning at Yosemite, also addressed the matter, saying much of the work has been understanding current visitor use patterns and developing longterm strategies.
She said officials want to “continue to protect the unique resources in Yosemite. We have to look at this comprehensively and put everything on the table.”
Morse also outlined what she called the “key issues” on the table; issues many people are well aware of, especially during this particular summer of visitation.
Those include road and parking congestion, long wait lines, in insufficient number of staff to handle not only the visitors, but critical maintenance and an issue that made national headlines during the pandemic and still happens —human waste along roads, turnouts and in parking lots.
The first round — and more
She also discussed the first part of the process and how people gave their input.
She said there were 4,209 comments received during that first period, which ran from Dec. 9, 2022 to Feb. 3. Unsurprisingly, the largest volume of comments came from people in California, with 1,345 responses. New York was second with 231.
It was also interesting to note there were comments from around the world, including eight from Germany and even one from Afghanistan.
Morse, like Muldoon, said the “goal” is to have a plan finalized by the end of 2024, which itself is an issue given this summer’s headaches and thinking about next year.
Collins then spoke about the various strategies, saying officials are “considering all kinds of ideas.”
With that, she also stressed those lead to many more issues, including who benefits from a strategy, what is the feasibility, what it takes to implement, the costs, staffing considerations and more.
“How do we make sure it can be supported for a long time?” she said. “It is really helpful to start thinking about the who, the what, the where, the when and the why of a strategy.”
She then listed some of the current strategies being considered, all based on the past year of comments and discussions. Those include daily reservations at the entrances during peak seasons, parking lot reservations for specific areas, daily reservations at entrances for special events and timed entry at the gates, to name some.
“Those are just some examples of things we are thinking about,” said Collins.
Another area park officials are already dabbling in is enhancing trip planning for those coming to Yosemite. That includes a text messaging system about traffic issues, getting more information into the gateway communities so visitors can plan ahead, more social media presence and other avenues.
An issue that was also touched on by Collins that impacts Mariposa County the most is the Arch Rock entrance station, where lines have been abnormally long this year.
“There may be opportunities at Arch Rock to relocate it to an area that is wider to accommodate more vehicles,” she said.
Other transportation issues include better flow at the Tioga Pass entrance, possible contactless entrance, expanding biking and pedestrian routes, including overpasses, to name a few.
Park and ride, options, too, are on the table as are expansion of regional transportation options, increasing transportation within the park and more.
She said they are also considering looking at underused areas like Crane Flat and Badger Pass, which many people don’t realize are places they can have good experiences.
But, said Collins, those also come with another price and that is having an adequate amount of personnel and housing “to support a positive visitor experience. We want to make sure when we are welcoming people … we are providing them the facilities and staff to help them enjoy that experience.”
The (many) questions
At this point in the meeting, the many questions submitted by the public were the subject of a good portion of the meeting .
The questions were submitted via the web link on the meeting, but follow-up questions by individuals were not possible. No names of those asking questions were given.
One question asked was if the plan being considered takes into account people of color as well as low income people who might struggle getting in with a reservation system.
“Yosemite should be accessible to anyone who wants to visit,” said Muldoon. “We will assess the impacts on equity with every alternative raised in this plan.”
Another question was how park officials will ensure local residents will still have access to the park without reserving in advance.
“I don’t know how yet,” said Muldoon. “We will have to see how the alternatives shake out.”
Another person asked if there could be separate lines for people who have yearly passes.
“Looking at the entry stations is a super important part of the plan,” said Muldoon. “We will look creatively at new technologies that help people get through faster, new gates or reconfigured. We don’t want to have those three or four hour waits we have had this summer.”
A question was raised about how officials are looking at other parks and how they are handling overcrowding.
Collins said they have looked at other areas, though she did stress that each park is unique. She cited Acadia National Park in Maine as a place where there is overcrowding and some areas have limited visitation. Rocky Mountain National Park, too, has certain controlled entry points, especially in the crowded Bear Lake area, she said. In Montana, Going to the Sun Road at Glacier National Park has implemented a ticketed system for travelers on one of the most scenic — and heavily visited — roads in the world.
A question many people have been discussing in those coffee shops is if park officials are considering implementing a reservation system this summer, given what has happened so far.
Muldoon said the decision was made last year to not have any system in place following three years of a reservation system. Two of those years had reservation systems because of Covid-19 while last year, park officials said the massive amount of construction was the reason.
“We had assured the public all along we would not make it permanent before we went through a rigorous public process,” she said.
Muldoon did say it has been “a super difficult summer. We couldn’t predict the winter. We can’t turn a key and turn the system back on this year.”
Later in the meeting, she did not rule out the possibility of some type of system next year.
She reiterated this plan won’t be done until the end of 2024, then added, “It does not preclude us from piloting something next summer. We’re learning a lot about visitor behavior …”
Muldoon added: “We will be looking hard at the data we gather this summer and come back out to you to talk about what happens in the summer of 2024. We need a better way and we can’t build our way out of it.”
Another issue raised was how local hotels can have access for their guests and if there is any more information about how the gateway communities fit into the puzzle.
Scott Gediman, public information officer for the park, said there is a limited amount of lodging inside Yosemite and that means a lot of people stay in the gateway communities.
He did note that some hotels have shuttle buses for patrons and also said the Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System, or YARTS, is an option.
“We are looking at this collectively,” said Gediman. “We have to look at this holistically, no just as the park. The gateway communities are critical to our success in this plan.”
Another person asked about how many parking spots were available in Yosemite Valley in 2019 versus the number in 2023. The year 2019 is the high-water mark for visitation at Yosemite.
Morse said “the parking situation hasn’t changed” over that period of time, though she did not give any exact numbers about parking spaces.
She did point out that 2023 has seen less visitation than 2019 but the issues with Glacier Point Road and Tioga Road have driven more people into the valley.
“Concentration this year is what is causing the problem,” said Morse.
The shuttle system was also brought up, though no clear answers were given.
The shuttle system within the park allows visitors to ride to various locations. However, two key locations, Glacier Point and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, don’t have shuttle service from the valley. There is a shuttle at the Mariposa Grove, but to use it, people have to drive there and then park.
“There is a real operational cost to running buses,” said Collins. “To invest more in that might be a trade off to other areas.”
Speed limits were also brought up, specifically if there is any plan to lower the limits.
“It is something we are constantly monitoring,” said Muldoon. “Protecting wildlife is fundamental to what we do in this park and other national parks. It is a constant battle.”
Another question related to a possible reservation system was if preference could be added to local residents.
“We want to think about defining local access in a fair and equitable kind of way,” said Collins. “We are open to ideas and suggestions.”
“It is a balancing act,” said Gediman, who also pointed out the park has a federal mandate to “provide equal access to everybody.”
However, he also said the importance of the local residents is a priority and park officials continually work to “find that balance. This is all part of that complex puzzle we are trying to solve.”
A question about the Arch Rock entrance was then thrown into the mix, piggybacking on the earlier discussion in which Collins had broached the subject.
The question was whether that entrance can be reconfigured to be placed somewhere near the Yosemite View Lodge which is on the eastern edge of El Portal and right next to the park boundary.
Morse said that was the preferred placement, but then added “the difficulty is we have right-of-way issues with Caltrans. It is not really our road.”
She also said there is a place near Cascade, where an old dam once was utilized. She said it is a “much wider” area than the current setup at Arch Rock and “we are looking at moving that entry station. It will take some time and funding, but it is definitely under consideration.”
Also brought up was the issue of shuttles running inside the park and how that is determined.
Collins said it is an issue for Yosemite Hospitality, the concessionaire who operates the system.
“That’s part of our concessions contract,” said Gediman.
Collins said officials are “in the process” of evaluating the transportation system, including many issues which have to be ironed out. Those include the frequency of shuttles, lead times, locations and many other topics.
“What does more shuttles mean?” said Collins. “How would we use them?”
Gediman said one issue which had not been brought up is how the park has been working over the past several years to improve the traffic flow throughout Yosemite Valley. That system is now in the construction phase, which he said is also contributing to some of the delays in the area.
“We are working with Yosemite Hospitality to maybe bringing in more buses,” said Gediman. “This is a huge area for comment and we’d love hear from you.”
Pre-planning, too, was a question brought up, including if there has been success in other parks with having real time information versus the typical systems of planning months in advance.
Collins said there has been “some” success, but also pointed out that in many cases, visitor decisions are not made in real time.
“That’s why we emphasize trip planning,” she said.
She noted that park officials did a survey of people entering the park and one of the questions was if people knew all of the parking lots were full, what would they do?
“A third said they would go anyway,” said Collins.
Toilets, too, were a topic of discussion and it was asked if portable toilets would be utilized at various entrance stations because of the long wait times.
“Part of this effort is looking at where bathroom needs are not being met,” said Morse. “But we also have to make sure we have people to maintain them.”
And, she noted, the entire point of doing this overall planning exercise and eventual implementation is that “one of our goals is we won’t have those kinds of lines.”
Another question was about the decades ago proposal to close Yosemite Valley to cars with the exception of those staying in the hotels or at campsites.
Morse said that issue was discussed years ago and back then, it was decided “it wasn’t something feasible to implement.”
In fact, she said the Merced River Plan was adjusted to make that point clear.
“We recognize our problem is we cannot have everybody coming in at once,” said Morse.
Parking, too, was a topic frequently asked during the meeting last week.
From how those with equestrian interests can have better access to the possibility of having a large parking and transit system located in El Portal, including worker shuttles.
“If there are thoughts about specific locations … we’d love to hear those,” said Collins. “If there are suggestions about where parking would be more useful, that would be super helpful.”
The discussion ended with officials saying there was not enough time to get in all of the questions but those would be considered as part of the overall process. Muldoon also encouraged everyone to make comments through the portal on the website.
They also encouraged anyone to make comments via the website.
Do you have a comment about the Yosemite National Park visitor access management plan?
If so, now is the time to voice your opinion.
You can do that at parkplanning.nps.gov/
By GREG LITTLE Editor | July 27, 2023 - Mariposa Gazzette
In many ways, the issues concerning Yosemite National Park are akin to the park itself — both are the 800 pound gorillas in the room.
From ridiculous wait times to get inside to no parking to crowded trails, the issues at Yosemite are many — and nothing new.
Yet it seems this year, things went from bad to worse because of many factors. The biggest factor in drawing people to the park was the amount of precipitation which fell this winter that led to waterfalls running like gangbusters well past the normal time. Waterfalls are one of the most sought-after features at the park by visitors.
But that was coupled with the fact Glacier Point Road was just reopened because of that heavy winter and Tioga Road opened just last weekend because of the massive amount of snow that fell on the popular highway.
Both of those led to headaches for visitors because of the overcrowding — even more than usual — in Yosemite Valley.
This all comes in the midst of the park’s major undertaking of developing a new visitor access management plan. That work has been underway for quite some time but will not come to a conclusion until the end of 2024.
As part of this process, there have been various public meetings, other public input and a lot of discussion at local coffee shops about what the future holds for one of the most iconic parks in the world.
The final decision will also have major impacts on the many communities considered gateways to the park, where businesses and just about everyone else rely on the tourists to sustain their local economies. That is especially true in Mariposa County, where transient occupancy tax collections are the highest per-capita in the tourist-heavy state of California.
With all of that said, last week, park officials held another public meeting to give an update on where the process stands as well as to take public input — of which there was a lot. The meeting was held virtually with many questions from the public; so many they could not all be answered.
“Crowding and congestion is, of course, a decades-long issue at Yosemite which has grown worse over the years,” said Cicely Muldoon, the park superintendent.
She said the results of this effort are “intended to find lasting solutions.”
Dr. Rachel Collins, the project manager from the National Park Service Visitor Use Management division in Denver, led off the discussion.
She laid out the framework for why the effort is happening, pointing to enhancing opportunities for visitors and implementing “effective visitor use management” to improve experiences as well as protect the resources at Yosemite.
Kathleen Morse, division chief for strategic planning at Yosemite, also addressed the matter, saying much of the work has been understanding current visitor use patterns and developing longterm strategies.
She said officials want to “continue to protect the unique resources in Yosemite. We have to look at this comprehensively and put everything on the table.”
Morse also outlined what she called the “key issues” on the table; issues many people are well aware of, especially during this particular summer of visitation.
Those include road and parking congestion, long wait lines, in insufficient number of staff to handle not only the visitors, but critical maintenance and an issue that made national headlines during the pandemic and still happens —human waste along roads, turnouts and in parking lots.
The first round — and more
She also discussed the first part of the process and how people gave their input.
She said there were 4,209 comments received during that first period, which ran from Dec. 9, 2022 to Feb. 3. Unsurprisingly, the largest volume of comments came from people in California, with 1,345 responses. New York was second with 231.
It was also interesting to note there were comments from around the world, including eight from Germany and even one from Afghanistan.
Morse, like Muldoon, said the “goal” is to have a plan finalized by the end of 2024, which itself is an issue given this summer’s headaches and thinking about next year.
Collins then spoke about the various strategies, saying officials are “considering all kinds of ideas.”
With that, she also stressed those lead to many more issues, including who benefits from a strategy, what is the feasibility, what it takes to implement, the costs, staffing considerations and more.
“How do we make sure it can be supported for a long time?” she said. “It is really helpful to start thinking about the who, the what, the where, the when and the why of a strategy.”
She then listed some of the current strategies being considered, all based on the past year of comments and discussions. Those include daily reservations at the entrances during peak seasons, parking lot reservations for specific areas, daily reservations at entrances for special events and timed entry at the gates, to name some.
“Those are just some examples of things we are thinking about,” said Collins.
Another area park officials are already dabbling in is enhancing trip planning for those coming to Yosemite. That includes a text messaging system about traffic issues, getting more information into the gateway communities so visitors can plan ahead, more social media presence and other avenues.
An issue that was also touched on by Collins that impacts Mariposa County the most is the Arch Rock entrance station, where lines have been abnormally long this year.
“There may be opportunities at Arch Rock to relocate it to an area that is wider to accommodate more vehicles,” she said.
Other transportation issues include better flow at the Tioga Pass entrance, possible contactless entrance, expanding biking and pedestrian routes, including overpasses, to name a few.
Park and ride, options, too, are on the table as are expansion of regional transportation options, increasing transportation within the park and more.
She said they are also considering looking at underused areas like Crane Flat and Badger Pass, which many people don’t realize are places they can have good experiences.
But, said Collins, those also come with another price and that is having an adequate amount of personnel and housing “to support a positive visitor experience. We want to make sure when we are welcoming people … we are providing them the facilities and staff to help them enjoy that experience.”
The (many) questions
At this point in the meeting, the many questions submitted by the public were the subject of a good portion of the meeting .
The questions were submitted via the web link on the meeting, but follow-up questions by individuals were not possible. No names of those asking questions were given.
One question asked was if the plan being considered takes into account people of color as well as low income people who might struggle getting in with a reservation system.
“Yosemite should be accessible to anyone who wants to visit,” said Muldoon. “We will assess the impacts on equity with every alternative raised in this plan.”
Another question was how park officials will ensure local residents will still have access to the park without reserving in advance.
“I don’t know how yet,” said Muldoon. “We will have to see how the alternatives shake out.”
Another person asked if there could be separate lines for people who have yearly passes.
“Looking at the entry stations is a super important part of the plan,” said Muldoon. “We will look creatively at new technologies that help people get through faster, new gates or reconfigured. We don’t want to have those three or four hour waits we have had this summer.”
A question was raised about how officials are looking at other parks and how they are handling overcrowding.
Collins said they have looked at other areas, though she did stress that each park is unique. She cited Acadia National Park in Maine as a place where there is overcrowding and some areas have limited visitation. Rocky Mountain National Park, too, has certain controlled entry points, especially in the crowded Bear Lake area, she said. In Montana, Going to the Sun Road at Glacier National Park has implemented a ticketed system for travelers on one of the most scenic — and heavily visited — roads in the world.
A question many people have been discussing in those coffee shops is if park officials are considering implementing a reservation system this summer, given what has happened so far.
Muldoon said the decision was made last year to not have any system in place following three years of a reservation system. Two of those years had reservation systems because of Covid-19 while last year, park officials said the massive amount of construction was the reason.
“We had assured the public all along we would not make it permanent before we went through a rigorous public process,” she said.
Muldoon did say it has been “a super difficult summer. We couldn’t predict the winter. We can’t turn a key and turn the system back on this year.”
Later in the meeting, she did not rule out the possibility of some type of system next year.
She reiterated this plan won’t be done until the end of 2024, then added, “It does not preclude us from piloting something next summer. We’re learning a lot about visitor behavior …”
Muldoon added: “We will be looking hard at the data we gather this summer and come back out to you to talk about what happens in the summer of 2024. We need a better way and we can’t build our way out of it.”
Another issue raised was how local hotels can have access for their guests and if there is any more information about how the gateway communities fit into the puzzle.
Scott Gediman, public information officer for the park, said there is a limited amount of lodging inside Yosemite and that means a lot of people stay in the gateway communities.
He did note that some hotels have shuttle buses for patrons and also said the Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System, or YARTS, is an option.
“We are looking at this collectively,” said Gediman. “We have to look at this holistically, no just as the park. The gateway communities are critical to our success in this plan.”
Another person asked about how many parking spots were available in Yosemite Valley in 2019 versus the number in 2023. The year 2019 is the high-water mark for visitation at Yosemite.
Morse said “the parking situation hasn’t changed” over that period of time, though she did not give any exact numbers about parking spaces.
She did point out that 2023 has seen less visitation than 2019 but the issues with Glacier Point Road and Tioga Road have driven more people into the valley.
“Concentration this year is what is causing the problem,” said Morse.
The shuttle system was also brought up, though no clear answers were given.
The shuttle system within the park allows visitors to ride to various locations. However, two key locations, Glacier Point and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, don’t have shuttle service from the valley. There is a shuttle at the Mariposa Grove, but to use it, people have to drive there and then park.
“There is a real operational cost to running buses,” said Collins. “To invest more in that might be a trade off to other areas.”
Speed limits were also brought up, specifically if there is any plan to lower the limits.
“It is something we are constantly monitoring,” said Muldoon. “Protecting wildlife is fundamental to what we do in this park and other national parks. It is a constant battle.”
Another question related to a possible reservation system was if preference could be added to local residents.
“We want to think about defining local access in a fair and equitable kind of way,” said Collins. “We are open to ideas and suggestions.”
“It is a balancing act,” said Gediman, who also pointed out the park has a federal mandate to “provide equal access to everybody.”
However, he also said the importance of the local residents is a priority and park officials continually work to “find that balance. This is all part of that complex puzzle we are trying to solve.”
A question about the Arch Rock entrance was then thrown into the mix, piggybacking on the earlier discussion in which Collins had broached the subject.
The question was whether that entrance can be reconfigured to be placed somewhere near the Yosemite View Lodge which is on the eastern edge of El Portal and right next to the park boundary.
Morse said that was the preferred placement, but then added “the difficulty is we have right-of-way issues with Caltrans. It is not really our road.”
She also said there is a place near Cascade, where an old dam once was utilized. She said it is a “much wider” area than the current setup at Arch Rock and “we are looking at moving that entry station. It will take some time and funding, but it is definitely under consideration.”
Also brought up was the issue of shuttles running inside the park and how that is determined.
Collins said it is an issue for Yosemite Hospitality, the concessionaire who operates the system.
“That’s part of our concessions contract,” said Gediman.
Collins said officials are “in the process” of evaluating the transportation system, including many issues which have to be ironed out. Those include the frequency of shuttles, lead times, locations and many other topics.
“What does more shuttles mean?” said Collins. “How would we use them?”
Gediman said one issue which had not been brought up is how the park has been working over the past several years to improve the traffic flow throughout Yosemite Valley. That system is now in the construction phase, which he said is also contributing to some of the delays in the area.
“We are working with Yosemite Hospitality to maybe bringing in more buses,” said Gediman. “This is a huge area for comment and we’d love hear from you.”
Pre-planning, too, was a question brought up, including if there has been success in other parks with having real time information versus the typical systems of planning months in advance.
Collins said there has been “some” success, but also pointed out that in many cases, visitor decisions are not made in real time.
“That’s why we emphasize trip planning,” she said.
She noted that park officials did a survey of people entering the park and one of the questions was if people knew all of the parking lots were full, what would they do?
“A third said they would go anyway,” said Collins.
Toilets, too, were a topic of discussion and it was asked if portable toilets would be utilized at various entrance stations because of the long wait times.
“Part of this effort is looking at where bathroom needs are not being met,” said Morse. “But we also have to make sure we have people to maintain them.”
And, she noted, the entire point of doing this overall planning exercise and eventual implementation is that “one of our goals is we won’t have those kinds of lines.”
Another question was about the decades ago proposal to close Yosemite Valley to cars with the exception of those staying in the hotels or at campsites.
Morse said that issue was discussed years ago and back then, it was decided “it wasn’t something feasible to implement.”
In fact, she said the Merced River Plan was adjusted to make that point clear.
“We recognize our problem is we cannot have everybody coming in at once,” said Morse.
Parking, too, was a topic frequently asked during the meeting last week.
From how those with equestrian interests can have better access to the possibility of having a large parking and transit system located in El Portal, including worker shuttles.
“If there are thoughts about specific locations … we’d love to hear those,” said Collins. “If there are suggestions about where parking would be more useful, that would be super helpful.”
The discussion ended with officials saying there was not enough time to get in all of the questions but those would be considered as part of the overall process. Muldoon also encouraged everyone to make comments through the portal on the website.
They also encouraged anyone to make comments via the website.
Do you have a comment about the Yosemite National Park visitor access management plan?
If so, now is the time to voice your opinion.
You can do that at parkplanning.nps.gov/
Joan Catherine Shewfelt
NOVEMBER 14, 1927 – JULY 8, 2023
Joan Shewfelt, passed away at 95 on July 8. We are grieving her loss but celebrating her life. I spent a week in Wawona with friends and my husband and felt much joy in the beautiful surroundings that my mom loved so much. She is the reason our family became such super fans of Wawona and Yosemite.
We plan to keep the cabin in the trust and continue to use it as much as we can. I will continue to manage the cabin for the family.
Ellen Multari,
Daughter
Click on the image to the left to access Joan's obituary.
NOVEMBER 14, 1927 – JULY 8, 2023
Joan Shewfelt, passed away at 95 on July 8. We are grieving her loss but celebrating her life. I spent a week in Wawona with friends and my husband and felt much joy in the beautiful surroundings that my mom loved so much. She is the reason our family became such super fans of Wawona and Yosemite.
We plan to keep the cabin in the trust and continue to use it as much as we can. I will continue to manage the cabin for the family.
Ellen Multari,
Daughter
Click on the image to the left to access Joan's obituary.
Tioga Road Set to Open Saturday, July 22
As announced by the National Park Service, Tioga Road, the continuation of Highway 120 East through Yosemite National Park is set to open Saturday morning at 8 am.
While the announcement is good news for those looking to traverse the Sierra Nevada from East to West, the historic amount of snow pack from the winter is limiting visitor services along the high-elevation pass.
Vault and portable toilets will be available, but there is no access to drinking water or food services. Visitors are encouraged to bring food and water with them. The Tuolumne Meadows Wilderness Center will be open and a general information desk near the Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center will be staffed from 9 am to 5 pm.
Motorists should prepare for traffic delays near Olmsted Point where there is road damage and one-lane traffic controls. We recommend that anyone planning to enter the park through any entrance including the newly opened eastern entrance on Tioga Road, arrive before 7 am to avoid queues and traffic.
There is still snow above 8,000 feet and deep snow above 9,000 feet. Marked trails may be hard or impossible to follow and meadows will be flooded. Anyone planning to hike should have access to GPS, a map and compass.
While the announcement is good news for those looking to traverse the Sierra Nevada from East to West, the historic amount of snow pack from the winter is limiting visitor services along the high-elevation pass.
Vault and portable toilets will be available, but there is no access to drinking water or food services. Visitors are encouraged to bring food and water with them. The Tuolumne Meadows Wilderness Center will be open and a general information desk near the Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center will be staffed from 9 am to 5 pm.
Motorists should prepare for traffic delays near Olmsted Point where there is road damage and one-lane traffic controls. We recommend that anyone planning to enter the park through any entrance including the newly opened eastern entrance on Tioga Road, arrive before 7 am to avoid queues and traffic.
There is still snow above 8,000 feet and deep snow above 9,000 feet. Marked trails may be hard or impossible to follow and meadows will be flooded. Anyone planning to hike should have access to GPS, a map and compass.
Virtual Public Meeting for Yosemite's Visitor Access Management Plan, scheduled for tomorrow, July 19, 2023, at 4:00 pm PST. At the time of the meeting, you can join us by following this link: Join live event. If you plan to join from a mobile device, you can download the Teams app from this link as well. Live captioning will be available during this meeting. A recording will be posted at Meeting Notices if you can't make the meeting.
Before to the meeting, you can learn about the project by viewing a story map and other materials available on the project website. Additionally, on the same website, you can provide feedback to the planning team regarding the draft strategies and key issues. The project website is parkplanning.nps.gov/YosemiteVisitorAccess and comments will be open through September 6, 2023.
Thank you,
Yosemite National Park Visitor Access Planning Team
Saddlebag Lake, July 15
Missing Trail Hiker’s Body Found in Chilnualna Creek
OSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — The body of a hiker who went missing in Yosemite National Park after being swept away by a cold and fast-flowing creek as California’s epic winter snowpack melts was found over the weekend, authorities confirmed Wednesday.
Hayden T. Klemenok vanished July 2 while backpacking with a group at Upper Chilnualna Falls, the National Park Service said in a statement.
He went missing shortly after entering Chilnualna Creek near the trail junction, the service said. That section of the creek is about a dozen miles (20 kilometers) south of Yosemite Valley and features a series of waterfalls and cascades that plunge hundreds of feet.
Klemenok's body was found Sunday and recovered Monday. How he died remains under investigation, said Scott Gediman, a spokesperson with Yosemite National Park.
"The cause of death is currently presumed to be accidental drowning.” Kelmenok’s sister, Taylor McKinnie, said in a statement posted on Facebook. She didn't immediately respond to a Facebook message seeking comment.
Klemenok’s parents told The San Francisco Chronicle that his friends said the day of the accident was hot and the 24-year-old from Petaluma, California, had gotten down on all fours to wet his face, but his hands slipped and he went into the water.
“It’s the worst experience any parent or family should go through,” Michelle Klemenok said.
California authorities have been warning the public that rivers, streams and lakes are extremely dangerous this year because of the massive runoff. The water is so cold that a person can lose muscle control within minutes, officials say.
Despite the warnings, there have been repeated tragedies. Nearly two dozen people have drowned or gone missing in California rivers since mid-April, according to the Bay Area News Group, which has been tracking reports from local authorities.
OSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — The body of a hiker who went missing in Yosemite National Park after being swept away by a cold and fast-flowing creek as California’s epic winter snowpack melts was found over the weekend, authorities confirmed Wednesday.
Hayden T. Klemenok vanished July 2 while backpacking with a group at Upper Chilnualna Falls, the National Park Service said in a statement.
He went missing shortly after entering Chilnualna Creek near the trail junction, the service said. That section of the creek is about a dozen miles (20 kilometers) south of Yosemite Valley and features a series of waterfalls and cascades that plunge hundreds of feet.
Klemenok's body was found Sunday and recovered Monday. How he died remains under investigation, said Scott Gediman, a spokesperson with Yosemite National Park.
"The cause of death is currently presumed to be accidental drowning.” Kelmenok’s sister, Taylor McKinnie, said in a statement posted on Facebook. She didn't immediately respond to a Facebook message seeking comment.
Klemenok’s parents told The San Francisco Chronicle that his friends said the day of the accident was hot and the 24-year-old from Petaluma, California, had gotten down on all fours to wet his face, but his hands slipped and he went into the water.
“It’s the worst experience any parent or family should go through,” Michelle Klemenok said.
California authorities have been warning the public that rivers, streams and lakes are extremely dangerous this year because of the massive runoff. The water is so cold that a person can lose muscle control within minutes, officials say.
Despite the warnings, there have been repeated tragedies. Nearly two dozen people have drowned or gone missing in California rivers since mid-April, according to the Bay Area News Group, which has been tracking reports from local authorities.
Fire Update
July 12th, 2023
PIKA FIRE
Location: Just west of North Dome
Elevation: 7,100’
Discover date: June 29, 2023
Size: 40 acres
Cause: Lightning
Yosemite Fire crews are using a confine and contain strategy utilizing natural barriers and trails. The fire has slow growth, with some isolated active pockets northwest of North Dome.
A confine and contain strategy under favorable conditions allows fire to move naturally across the landscape, providing ecological benefits to plants and wildlife, while also meeting protection objectives to minimize risk to people and infrastructure.
Trail closures went into effect Tuesday evening, impacting short sections of the North Dome Trail and Lehamite Creek Trail. A trail closure map can be seen HERE.
Smoke impacts from the Pika Fire are expected to impact Yosemite Valley in the evening and overnight with conditions improving as smoke lifts during the afternoons. Impacts may also be seen in the surrounding communities of Groveland, El Portal, and Lee Vining. To monitor smoke in your area and take precautions for your health, please visit Current Air Quality and Smoke Monitoring - Yosemite National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
More information is available here: Pika Fire - Inciweb
July 12th, 2023
PIKA FIRE
Location: Just west of North Dome
Elevation: 7,100’
Discover date: June 29, 2023
Size: 40 acres
Cause: Lightning
Yosemite Fire crews are using a confine and contain strategy utilizing natural barriers and trails. The fire has slow growth, with some isolated active pockets northwest of North Dome.
A confine and contain strategy under favorable conditions allows fire to move naturally across the landscape, providing ecological benefits to plants and wildlife, while also meeting protection objectives to minimize risk to people and infrastructure.
Trail closures went into effect Tuesday evening, impacting short sections of the North Dome Trail and Lehamite Creek Trail. A trail closure map can be seen HERE.
Smoke impacts from the Pika Fire are expected to impact Yosemite Valley in the evening and overnight with conditions improving as smoke lifts during the afternoons. Impacts may also be seen in the surrounding communities of Groveland, El Portal, and Lee Vining. To monitor smoke in your area and take precautions for your health, please visit Current Air Quality and Smoke Monitoring - Yosemite National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
More information is available here: Pika Fire - Inciweb
Fire Update, Friday, July 7th, 2023
PIKA FIRE
Location: Just west of North Dome
Elevation: 7,100’
Discover date: June 29, 2023
Size: 4 acres
Cause: Lightning
Yosemite Fire crews are scouting the fire to implement a confine and contain strategy utilizing natural barriers and trails. The fire has slow growth, with some isolated active pockets northwest of North Dome.
A confine and contain strategy under favorable conditions allows fire to move naturally across the landscape, providing ecological benefits to plants and wildlife, while also meeting protection objectives to minimize risk to people and infrastructure.
More information is available here: Pika Fire - Inciweb
Thank you for your continued support!
PIKA FIRE
Location: Just west of North Dome
Elevation: 7,100’
Discover date: June 29, 2023
Size: 4 acres
Cause: Lightning
Yosemite Fire crews are scouting the fire to implement a confine and contain strategy utilizing natural barriers and trails. The fire has slow growth, with some isolated active pockets northwest of North Dome.
A confine and contain strategy under favorable conditions allows fire to move naturally across the landscape, providing ecological benefits to plants and wildlife, while also meeting protection objectives to minimize risk to people and infrastructure.
More information is available here: Pika Fire - Inciweb
Thank you for your continued support!
Help us shape the future of visitor access at Yosemite National Park.
Yosemite National Park is continuing to develop the Visitor Access Management Plan amid an extremely busy summer season and is kicking off another round of engagement for Summer 2023.
Please visit the project website for important updates about preliminary management strategies! These preliminary management strategies were built upon input received in the public comment period that occurred in the winter of 2022-2023. They reflect your ideas about how we might address some of the highest priority issues facing the park, its visitors, and communities.
We invite you to join us on Wednesday, July 19 at 4pm PDT for a solutions-based discussion about the preliminary management strategies and how they might be refined and further developed. Meeting info will be posted at Meeting Notices - Visitor Access Management Plan. On July 19 at 4pm, you can join us by following this link: Join this event.
You can learn more about the project by viewing a story map and other materials on the project website, and you can provide feedback to the planning team through a public comment. The project website is parkplanning.nps.gov/YosemiteVisitorAccess and the comment period will be open from July 6 through September 6, 2023.
Thank you for your input and engagement – we look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yosemite NP Visitor Access Planning Team
Yosemite National Park is continuing to develop the Visitor Access Management Plan amid an extremely busy summer season and is kicking off another round of engagement for Summer 2023.
Please visit the project website for important updates about preliminary management strategies! These preliminary management strategies were built upon input received in the public comment period that occurred in the winter of 2022-2023. They reflect your ideas about how we might address some of the highest priority issues facing the park, its visitors, and communities.
We invite you to join us on Wednesday, July 19 at 4pm PDT for a solutions-based discussion about the preliminary management strategies and how they might be refined and further developed. Meeting info will be posted at Meeting Notices - Visitor Access Management Plan. On July 19 at 4pm, you can join us by following this link: Join this event.
You can learn more about the project by viewing a story map and other materials on the project website, and you can provide feedback to the planning team through a public comment. The project website is parkplanning.nps.gov/YosemiteVisitorAccess and the comment period will be open from July 6 through September 6, 2023.
Thank you for your input and engagement – we look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yosemite NP Visitor Access Planning Team
Chad Andrews' Retirement BBQ July 20
In just two short weeks we will be holding a barbeque/potluck at Wawona Community Center. Please join us on July 20, 2023 at 6:00 PM to celebrate Chad's retirement. RSVP here. Bring a dish to pass, a plate and utensils, and your well-wishes for Chad.
If you would like to contribute to a group gift please do so at the Pine Tree Market or you may donate via Paypal or Venmo, just reach out to me for the information. We would like to have donations secured by the 10th if possible.
We look forward to seeing many of you as we celebrate Chad's 23 years of service with the National Park Service!
Thank you!
Heidi L. Edgecomb
U.S. Park Ranger
Supervisory Ranger, Wawona District
Yosemite National Park
209-375-9520 (o)
209-347-3198 (c)
In just two short weeks we will be holding a barbeque/potluck at Wawona Community Center. Please join us on July 20, 2023 at 6:00 PM to celebrate Chad's retirement. RSVP here. Bring a dish to pass, a plate and utensils, and your well-wishes for Chad.
If you would like to contribute to a group gift please do so at the Pine Tree Market or you may donate via Paypal or Venmo, just reach out to me for the information. We would like to have donations secured by the 10th if possible.
We look forward to seeing many of you as we celebrate Chad's 23 years of service with the National Park Service!
Thank you!
Heidi L. Edgecomb
U.S. Park Ranger
Supervisory Ranger, Wawona District
Yosemite National Park
209-375-9520 (o)
209-347-3198 (c)
