Iditarod update

[Blue_In_AK]

It looks like tomorrow is going to be a very exciting day. Three teams, Mitch Seavey, Jeff King and Aliy Zirkle, are virtually tied and no one has a clue which one will win. We could end up with a real photo finish, which would be great for me. The next seven or eight teams are closely following so I'll be busy snapping away for hours. Probably won't get much sleep tomorrow night.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Sounds exciting, my dear Blue!

Have a great time.....I know you will!

[Mz Pip]

2. Looking forward to your photos

They are always a treat.

[Little Star]

3. Have fun Blue! Can't wait to see the pictures.

[Solly Mack]

4. Sounds exciting! Looking forward to your photos!

[Blue_In_AK]

5. The photos will be challenging.

We're expecting Mitch, Aliy and Jeff King probably sometime around 11 p.m. or midnight with many more to follow every 15-30 minutes throughout the rest of the night. The chute is well lit, but I'm probably going to be out on the balcony shooting down since so many people crowd around down at street level. I might have an issue with the flood lights. A flash will be useless from that distance. I usually use the 70-200 for these shots, but I might put the extender on so I can get closer and avoid the light flares.

My plan is to go out around 10 p.m. and practice ISOs, exposures, etc. etc. I was really hoping the leaders would be here during daylight. It doesn't get dark here until about 9:30, but then it doesn't get light until around 10:00 a.m., so there will be lots and lots of night shots. Oh, well, you work with the lighting conditions you have, not the ones you wish you had, right?

[Solly Mack]

6. Will you remain awake the whole night? It sounds so exciting!

Watching them all return. Going out early to prepare for the conditions sounds like a good idea to me. I think you'll get some great shots.

Your photos of the Iditarod are always a pleasure to see!

If I wasn't such a baby about the cold...

[Blue_In_AK]

7. Yes, we'll be up all night.

Looking at the standings, I think there will be at least 15 teams in here before daybreak. This is really crazy. I don't think we've ever seen them so bunched up.

We never get much sleep out here until the third or fourth day when things slow down a little.

Do you remember a couple of years ago when John Baker won? He was here by about 10 a.m. on this day, which was really remarkable. The trail was really warm this year so the snow was soft and slowed people down. It's pretty interesting how the race is so different from year to year.

It's not terribly cold this year, about -4 this morning but clear and no wind. We went out walking for a couple hours and felt fine.