Jessie Holmes first to return to Grayling

Jessie Holmes and team were the first to return to Grayling Sunday afternoon after spending much of the day running along "the loop" from Grayling to Anvik to Shageluk back to Grayling. Upon his return he was awarded a fur hat and mitts originally intended for the first musher to McGrath. Because of the trail reroute the award was not able to be presented in McGrath as McGrath was not on the trail route this year.

Jessie was so excited and grateful for the gifts that he took his sealskin hat off his head and immediately put the new beaver lined hat on asking if it was okay to take it with him as he knew "this hat is going to be lucky." Not wanting to lose or ruin the mitts he handed them to fellow musher and this year's checkpoint manager Jessie Royer so he could put them in his return bag. 

Holmes is currently leading the Iditarod with no one hot on his heels to challenge him. The veteran musher has yet to take his mandatory 8 hours on the loop and fans and analysts have been busy speculating where Jessie plans to take it. Paige Drobny is reportedly on her 8 hour rest now in Shageluk but this section of trail has taken its toll on her team and she is managing sore muscles on many of the dogs. 

Matt Hall and Michelle Phillips are also into Shageluk but there's no word for sure what their game plans are.

Teams continue down the trail with the back of the pack resting in Kaltag. Only Quince Mountain has yet to complete his 24 mandatory, however with as much rest as he's taken so far in Kaltag it's a fairly safe bet the rookie musher is currently taking that rest.