Iditarod 2009: Mushers Through Rohn, Gebhardt Leads!

It's been a fast and furious first couple of days at the 2009 Iditarod. The large group of mushers have already gone in and out Rohn and are well on their way to the next checkpoint at Nikolai. A quick look at the current standings shows Paul Gebhardt holds the official lead, with Yukon Quest champion Sebastian Schnuelle in second place, followed by two time defending champ Lance Mackey in third.

Of course, the actual placement out on the course could be vastly different, and according to the Iditablog, Schnuelle and Hugh Neff are actually out in front of the group, battling to be the first to arrive in Nikolai. Gebhardt is said to be just a few miles back, with Mitch Seavey and Aaaron Burmeister are giving chase.

The trail reportedly has a good deal of snow on it now, which means that the pace will slow down some in the days ahead. Temperatures are hovering around 28ºF as well, which should help conditions some, and the run from Rohn to Nikolai is notoriously windy, so the teams are no doubt looking forward to getting this leg behind them.

There are a lot of racers bunched up near the top right now, and I expect that things will begin to shake out in the next few days. I expect Jeff King, who is currently sitting in 14th place on the official chart, to make a move to get near the top once again. He's been running some fast times between the checkpoints, and also is stocking up on rest time as well. That should serve him and his team well down the stretch. But really, the top ten reads like a whose-who of the Iditarod, with any number of good racers sitting in a good place.

Iditarod 2009: Schnuelle Leads Early On

Sebastian Schnuelle, winner of the 2009 Yukon Quest, currently leads this year's Iditarod as well, with the top mushers already out of Finger Lake. Not far behind Schnuelle is Paul Gebhardt, with Ed Iten currently holding down third place. Two time defending champ Lance Mackey is giving chase in fourth, part of a pack further back.

The race got off to it's ceremonial start on Saturday, where thousands of fans lined the streets in downtown Anchorage to wish the mushers, and their dogs, well. The race resumed yesterday with the official start, and the teams have been jockeying for position ever since. The top racers are through Finger Lake and are now en route to Rainy Pass, having already covered more than 200 miles.

This early in the race it is difficult to make any predictions and you have to temper your enthusiasm some. The course is 1100 miles in length, and the most demanding stages are yet to come, but it is always encouraging to see some of the top names battling out on the leaderboard even in the early standings. Schnuelle looks like he's come to prove that his big, record setting win in the Yukon Quest was no fluke, and he's hoping to join Mackey as the only man to win that race and the Iditarod in the same year. But there are Iditarod vets looming just outside the top ten, biding their time, and waiting to make a move. Should be a great race to watch unfold.

For more news and information, checkout the Iditablog where you'll find thoughts on the race, a good podcast for fan, and more. Also, follow their updates on twitter as well.

Travel from South to North on a 9-day tour

Set out from South to North on a 9-day visit, investigating Vietnam's topography and society. Begin in Vietnam's cutting edge city, Saigon then fly out north to the drowsy riverside town of Hoian. Find the old capital of Hue, before drenching yourself in Hanoi's pioneer appeal and finish up your visit with an overnight watercraft voyage among the towering limestone islands of Halong Bay

Welcome to Vietnam's money related center point: Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). Land in the late morning and appreciate an introduction visit through Saigon's clamoring lanes on the way to the inn. Delight in whatever remains of the day at your recreation to recuperate from plane slack and investigate the city all alone.

Related post: travel Vietnam

Appreciate a full day to visit Saigon's differing attractions. Begin with a visit to Saigon's China Town, then look into conventional Vietnamese drug at the FITO Museum and peruse through the astonishing show of products at Ben Thanh Market. Stop for lunch then proceed the city visit with a visit to the War Remnants Museum and previous Presidential Palace. You close the day investigating the city's French pilgrim building design, halting at the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Old Post Office.

Today you make a trip to the Mekong River Delta on a day excursion to investigate the rich society and lavish fluvial scene. Your driver and aide will reach you at your lodging and take you to Cai Be. Begin your visit with a visit to Cai Be's bright gliding business, cruising among the nearby freight ships stuffed-loaded with foods grown from the ground. Visit some nearby workshops then delight in a delightful lunch served in the cool shade of A Binh Island's plantations. Toward the evening, take a conventional paddle boat and wander deeper into the wide open, coasting through slender waterways to appreciate the serene surroundings. Stop at a nursery arrangement to find how ranchers along the delta deliver their reality celebrated products of the soil. The journey closes around 3:30 PM in Vinh Long. Your driver will reach you at the dock and take you over to Saigon.

After breakfast, you are exchanged to the air terminal for your inner flight to Danang. Your aide and driver will reach you at the air terminal and undertake the short drive to the tired riverside town, Hoian. Take a half-day strolling visit through the tight slowing down of the old quarter, going by Chua Ong Pagoda, the Chinese Assembly Hall, the 200-year old Tam Ky inhereted house and the popular Japanese Bridge. End the day with an unwinding nightfall watercraft outing.

Delight in breakfast at the lodging then check-out and roll over the 500m-high Hai Van go to Hue. Delight in a stop at the grand Lang Co Beach for a beverage before proceeding to Hue - an UNESCO World Heritage Site and Vietnam's previous capital. Use the evening on a restful strolling visit through the old city. Visit the Royal Citadel, the Imperial Museum, and the Mausoleum of King tu Duc (an imitation of the ruler's royal residence assembled for the following resurrection of the lord).

Use the morning on a private pontoon journey down the sentimental Perfume River to visit the Lady Pagoda (Thien Mu Pagoda), Dong Ba Market and the resplendent Minh Mang's tomb. Upon landing, get exchanged to your lodging in the downtown area. Free at your recreation.

Today you have a full day to investigate Vietnam's beguiling capital. With its wide tree-lined roads, French frontier structural planning, serene lakes and old oriental pagodas, Hanoi is a diverse blend that offers something for everybody. Your city visit will take you to Hanoi's key destinations: the Ho Chi Minh Complex (Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum and stilt house), the Presidential Palace, the adjacent One Pillar Pagoda; the Temple of Literature; West Lake including the calm Tran Quoc Pagoda & Quan Thanh Temple; and one of the city's historical centers (a decision between the History Museum and the Ethnology Museum). Later toward the evening, appreciate a customary Water Puppet Performance – an interesting people craftsmanship that started a thousand years prior amid the Ly administration. A water manikin show portrays the every day exercises in Vietnamese country life and in addition paramount recorded occasions and old legends. Each one water manikin is hand-cut and given five layers of polish paint to secure the manikins from the water and to add essential colors to the execution.

Use 24 hours on a customary Junk Cruise in the stunning cove: a regular wonderland made out of sticking limestone islands and shimmering turquoise waters. Land at the dock around twelve and board your garbage. Enjoy a gourmet lunch of new fish locally available as cruising out into the magical cove. Toward the evening, journey around some of Halong's numerous islands, including Dinh Huong and Ga Choi. Along the way visit one of the cove's 3 biggest holes (Thien Cung, Dau Go or Sung Sot). Stop at an island inlet with a shielded white-sand shoreline and take a plunge in the warm waters of the Gulf of Tonkin (climate allowing). Pass the night on your garbage, calmed to rest by t

Everest 2009: Equipment Stranded in Tibet

ExWeb has posted another one of their Himalayan Updates today, which will no doubt become a staple in the weeks ahead. This particular one tells of a calm before the storm in Kathmandu, as climbers prepare to head to the Himalaya next week, hailing the start of the climbing season.

There are a number of interesting nuggets in this update, not the least of which is that Manuel Pizarro and André S. Rossin-Arthiat, two climbers slated for the North Side, have now switched their plans and will climb from the South instead. The political climate in Tibet has just made the prospect of a climb there seem to unsure. The problem is, much of their gear has already been sent to the North Side, and they've had to request that it be brought back to Nepal, and in a hurry. The climbers are hurriedly working on getting permits and setting up their plans for a climb from the South now. They're keeping their fingers crossed that all their gear will get back to them before the crowds start to arrive.

Meanwhile, Andrew Lock is in Kathmandu, and hopes to climb both Shisha Pangma and Everest this year. His latest updates says that the border between Nepal and Tibet remains firmly closed at the moment, and his expedition to Shisha remains in doubt. It is the only remaining 8000m peak for Andrew to summit, and he's hoping he'll get a crack at it. While he waits to see what happens around April 1st, when China has indicated they might reopen the border, he'll go to the Khumbu Valley for an acclimatization trek.

ExWeb is also reporting that Billi Bierling, a writer and journalist in Nepal, will be climbing from the South Side with Himex this year. In her latest blog post she notes that Kathmandu is smogged in at the moment, with no rain in sight, making it even dryer than ever. The city is in the midst of a water shortage and it sounds like things are beginning to get desperate. Billi also shares some details on her work with Miss Hawley, the famous archiver of all things Himalaya. Quite an interesting read.

In the broader Himalaya and Karakorum, ExWeb reports that Field Touring Alpine is not only putting together climbs on Everest this year, but have an expedition planned for K2 this summer, as well as permits for Broad Peak and Gasherbrum II as well. Busy year for the FTA gang!

Finally, Alan Arnette has brought us yet another good interview on his Everest 2009 page, this time with Paul and Fiona Adler, a husband and wife team who have both summitted Everest, Fiona in 2006 and Paul in 2007. They discuss what life's been like since their successful climbs, the use of technology while on an expedition, and a lot more. Good stuff.

Hello E(xcellence). Hello Moto.

The itch in my hand, to hold Moto E, the grand,

Led to my envious state, to say hello to my good fate,

For a phone that is really smart, perfect blend of science and art,

Together we could excel, with features to dwell,

Dwell the day and Dwell the night, with its functions of might,

Start with a feeling so profound, with no boundaries, no bound

The features if I list, with Moto E in my fist,

Processor Quad Core, suited for special and the chore,

Power of Battery for days, alike for the Haze and the Blaze,

Android and Lollipop,would chime best of zing and the Hop,

With a twist in the wrist, 'Quick Capture' to be camera in the fist,

Crisp sharp with its curves, would add zeal and the verves,

Its Corning Gorilla Glass, would save the damage, set the Class,

Eight GB Memory so large, with aplenty apps I could lead the charge,
And expandable it is, to suit alike substance and the fizz

Customized Accents to fit my style, day in and out to usher the smile
With fantastic Moto Display, would make it fun all the way
Technology of Sensor Hub, Would undoubtedly keep me in the elite club
Its Affordable Price, just makes it twice as nice

To start with Moto E, would be an experience to 'Be'
To be not just Alive, but to 'feel' and to 'thrive'!

Note : This was a contest entry.

Rowing The Indian Ocean: Sarah's Off!

British rower Sarah Outen set off on her quest to become the first woman to row solo across the Indian Ocean this past weekend. She hopes to also be the youngest, and fastest to complete that challenge.

Sarah got underway from Fremantle, in Western Australia, on Saturday, a week earlier than expected thanks to a great weather window. She'll now make her way some 3100 miles across the Indian Ocean to Mauritius, battling the elements, and dodging shipping traffic, all the way. She expects high winds and 30 foot waves as she passes through shark infested waters, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

You'll be able to follow Sarah's progress from her website, where you'll find her dispatches from the ocean, a live tracking system, more information about the route, a photo gallery and more.

Sarah is looking at this expedition as a good old fashioned adventure, and of course she wants those records as well, but she's also doing it for a good cause. She's hoping to raise awareness and funds for the Arthritis Care organization, and has also dedicated the row to her father, who passed away back in June of 2006.

Good luck Sarah! We'll be following! (Side Note: Why are all these crazy long distance rowers from the U.K.?)

POV: Moribund Google+ ?

A recent article in Slate about the future of Google+ caught my attention largely because it reflects pretty much what I feel about that social network, and about its photography community in particular.

I ought to have positive things to say about Google+ seeing that my profile received in excess of 436 million views so far. This is certainly a glitch, but seeing that number every time I log on to my profile is a tremendous ego boost.

But first things first...The New York Times pointed out recently that Google+ is useful to Google as an identity service by which the company can better track users across services like YouTube, Gmail and Google Maps. In other words, it's data mining like so many other social networks (Facebook for example).

Late last year, I joined a number of Google+ photography forums/communities, and posted whatever I write on my blog and on Facebook. To be honest, I never felt connected. It just didn't feel comfortable. Yes, photographs look much better on Google+ that any other social network, but it left me cold.

I suspect it's because 99% of my network of 'friends' on Facebook consists of photographers I either know personally and of others who know them...a sort of two degrees of separation. For instance, the number of friends' requests I receive on Facebook jumps just before, during and after the annual Foundry Photojournalism Workshop....so there are real human connections behind many, if not all, of these.

Not so for Google+.

Moreover, I'm really not a community/forum kind of guy... and expecting comments on photographs I post, saying that how "delightful the expression is", how "extraordinary is the light that dissects the scene" or if the photograph is better in color or monochrome...etc is not a turn on for me. Naturally, if I get a compliment, I respond with my sincere thanks....but I'm not ready to expend so much time to read, respond and reciprocate the commentary.

Perhaps it's because I'm not really that interested in such feedback from people (despite the fact some are very talented photographers) in that particular type of social interface/forum. Face to face feedback (or from someone I already met and know) is different, because it's verbalized and is done in person, and there's much more to gain and offer.

I know others exult about Google+ as being the bees' knees for photographers, but to me, the value of joining the photographic communities is not worth the required time expenditure.

I'll remain as I am on Google+, and will retain my activity level at what it is...but not more than that. And if and when it really dies or withers...I won't care.