Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race to the 2010 census, it has a population of 401, making it the largest checkpoint in the Interior. McGrath is also notable for being the first site in Alaska to receive mail by aircraft (in 1924), heralding the end of the sled dog era. It still has a good airfield, so journalists are common. Following McGrath is Takotna, formerly a commercial hub during the gold rush. The ghost town of Ophir, named for the reputed source of King Solomon's gold by religious prospectors, is the next checkpoint. By this stage in the race, the front-runners may be several days ahead
Iditarod: Toughest Race on Earth the next day. By the end of the episode, Jeff King's team makes it to Finger Lake before his first extended stop. Most teams rest in Skwentna, though the large number of teams that have elected to stop creates a loud, restless atmosphere. By the end of the episode, three teams have dropped from the race and the first 48 hours of the race are covered. Iditarod: Toughest Race on Earth Iditarod: Toughest Race on Earth was a 2008 American reality television miniseries on the Discovery Channel that featured the 2008 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race from Anchorage to Nome,