I flew out of Grayling this afternoon and headed for Unalakleet.  The pilot received word that Lance Mackey was on the trail and that if we were lucky we could see him on the trail.  Luck was not with us, but when we flew over the checkpoint there was a huge crowd and we knew that Lance had made it into town before us.  It was close to 3:00 p.m.

Wells Fargo presented Lance with a trophy and $2,500 in gold nuggets for being the first team to reach the Gold Coast.  It took me about 40-minutes to get from the airport to the checkpoint, but Lance was still there.  He is always such a positive example of how to be polite, upbeat, and pleasant no matter how tired he might feel.  I watched him give several interviews, sign autographs, and head for the checkpoint to take care of himself.

A vet coming in for dinner this evening just told me that Lance wants to be awakened at 8:30 p.m.  Is it surprising that the next team is scheduled to arrive into Unalakleet sometime after 9:00 p.m.?   There is only one more 8-hour mandatory rest at White Mountain, and then the push is on to Nome.  What is Lance’s next move?

I heard Lance answer that question in an interview he gave today, “Watch out, because you don’t know what I’ll do next.”