Cool! I wouldn't mind working on that project myself, and it's low-enough elevation to do it even in winter. I've been wanting to hike that area for years. It's famous for flowers. That's the South Fork of the Merced, right? There is also a trail or route in the area that has sounded very interesting to me for years, starts from Yosemite on the Alder Creek Trail on Wawona Rd, goes to Bishop Creek and, at least at one time, you could continue on down into the canyon to the river and make your way down to the Hite Cove area, I believe. I've never been on it, I read a bit about it in Shaeffer's hiking guide to Yosemite and by doing some bits of internet research. I think there use to be a road to Yosemite through there way back. I'm wondering if that area (upstream from Hite Cove) burned and got brushy and the trails are pretty much lost. Going there has been on my back-of-the-mind bucket list for years.