Location: Winchester

Time: 10 AM

Dear Friends,

I will now attempt to really end my story of this incredible journey.  You never know, though, I may think of more events and stories that I forgot to share with you! 

On Thursday morning, March 15^th, Rick Swenson arrived in Nome at 3 AM.  Although I should have heard the siren, I slept right through it!  So, I’m sorry to say that I have no pictures to include of the 4^th place winner.  I will tell you that he has come in first a record five times!  He has been in 24 races, and has been in the top ten for all but two.  Last year he came in 8^th, but it was his best time ever.  He has earned more prize money ($438,000) than any other musher has.  His fourth place win earns him an additional $39,000.

I woke up at my usual 6 AM, found out that I’d missed Rick, but learned that Paul Gebhardt was due in shortly.  He came running down Front St. at 7:30 AM with a team of seven dogs.  Notice how dark it is!  You can see the dogs’ eyes shining, and reflective tape on Paul, the dogs and the sled.  It was an awesome sight! 

Paul looked so happy to be in, claiming his 5^th place win and prize money of $36,000.  Last year he was second, but this was a harder race to win.  I loved his dogs!  After being on the trail for all that time, they looked great!  He was asked how he felt about only having seven dogs at the finish, and he pointed to his lead dog and said, “Red Dog is worth five dogs!”  What a beauty!

Just a half-hour later, musher number six came in. This was John Baker’s sixth Iditarod, and his bib was number six!  As you can see it’s still dark, at 8 AM.  John is a native Eskimo from Kotzebue, which is on the peninsula just north of Nome. He had a huge crowd of supporters, all wearing special blue coats with “Baker Team” on them.

Do you remember the Eskimo-Indian Olympics I told you about?  John was one of the champions of those winter games as a teenager. 

Since I knew this would be the last winner I could see arriving, I had a photo taken of me hugging one of John Baker’s beautiful dogs. 

All too soon, it was time to go to the Nome airport and leave this amazing tundra landscape.  Flying to Anchorage I marveled over the beautiful natural wonders below.  The meandering rivers truly captivated me.  What fantastic patterns they make!

I arrived in Anchorage and quickly shopped for some special items that I wanted to bring back, and then I met with some friends at a coffee shop.  Can you guess what I ordered for my beverage, or have I been gone too long?

Finally it was time to head back to the airport and depart for the final leg of the journey.  The plane left Anchorage at 1 AM on Friday, the 16^th.  I changed planes in Salt Lake City, and then arrived at Logan Airport at about 5PM.   I don’t remember much about the trip home.  I slept almost the whole way.

Thanks to all of you for traveling with me.  If you have any questions, I’ll have much more time to answer them now, so please feel free to contact me.   I loved reading my “Guest Book” every day!  Thanks, Natasha, for having the idea and skill to include it!

Did the journey live up to my expectations?  YES! YES! YES!  Would I do it again?  Yes!  I have to go back some day, when it’s really winter in Alaska, because I have all of these great heavy clothes to wear, and I still need to fulfill my final dream  - to see the Northern Lights!

So, here I am at home, unpacking my treasures and my dirty clothes and reflecting on my memories of the wondrous state of Alaska and “The Last Great Race”.

Goodbye to you all, from Mrs. McClintock!  I’ll see you at Burbank Monday morning!