[wpvideo U7HEXrNo]

Matt Failor and his team came off the Takotna River and into the checkpoint at 12:02pm with 16 dogs on the line.  He was in great spirits with a huge smile on his face.  Matt injured himself in Nikolai during my stay there when he accidentally cut his leg with a knife while he was taking care of his supplies.  A vet stitched him up, and he decided to rest take his mandatory 24 hours there.  I was thrilled to see him come in to Takotna.  He laughed off the injury, but did walk with a limp as he hugged and thanked each and every dog for a job well done.  He said he was a little sore, gave a thumbs up, and he was on his way 2 minutes later.  The Takotna volunteers handed him a sack lunch with a ham sandwich and two cans of “pop” as he headed out.  It is so important for a musher to have a strong mental attitude in this race, and Matt certainly does.  Way to go Matt!