ITI 2025 Day 6: Nikolai (259.3) - McGrath (306.6)

Follow @itialaska for general race updates,  itidiaries.blogspot.com for Ryan updates.

TL; DR: Made it to the 350 race finish, in need of pizza.

Ryan’s ride (all times in AKST):

*Arrived at Nikolai (259.3)@ 4:22pm.

*Departed for McGrath (306.6) @ 5:08pm.  *Note the trail splitting, one red and one orange…orange is the “overland” route the racers typically take because it’s a more direct route to McGrath, red is the “river” route the racers rarely take because it adds quite a few miles.  Because the dog race isn’t breaking their trail until Ruby, the racers are resigned to the river route.  This year that adds about 10 miles to the distance between Nikolai and McGrath (so more like 58 miles).

 

At Nikolai, Ryan caught up with Ms. Stephanie, a local crafts woman who Ryan befriended.  I scored a sweet change purse out of the deal a few years back. He attempted to download audiobooks from his Libby app…unclear if he ever figured out his pin (#notmyproblem), dried some clothes out, slept, and said what up to friend (and 350 foot frontrunner)Scott.

From the trail I received a few short GPS messages:

• Legs (and probably bum!) are sore (climb up & over Rainy followed by miles of tussocks will do that!)

• Sun’s out. Great day. River is boring.

• I’m ready for pizza

He arrived in McGrath as I type this (4:13p), ready for pizza, Ruby coffee, and a reset.  And then probably another pizza.

What Say You Ryan?

(photo credit @Mayella Krause, 350 Bike FINISHER WHOOP!)

Day 5: I say the (Farewell) Burn, you say…..

1. Kinda ugly…(while many feel this way, Ryan is not one of them)

2. Bring on the wildlife! (this would have been my guess, as I know he’s seen a ton of wildlife, and a ton of different types of wildlife)

3. ***I really liked (See A, but also B….and if you know Ryan, he has finds great joy in being contrary)

4. I actually miss the climb & descent of Rainy Pass (after the 2021 COVID out & back, which featured and up & over & back of the Pass, he found once per 350 OR 1000 miles was enough)

Day 6: What is your favorite way to pass the time on the trail?

1. Audiobooks (can you beat hearing about other’s adventures while on your own epic adventure)

2. Meditate (probably reflect on how wonderful his wife is)

3. Sort the candy in his feedbag by color (don’t judge, it’s one way to stay awake and get the necessary calories)

4. See how many seconds he can pedal with his eyes closed (three years into this bike thing, he’s gotten pretty good…)

Comment with your guess and I’ll reveal the answer tomorrow!!

ITI 2025 Day 5: Rohn (189.5) - Nearing Nikoli (259.3)

Follow @itialaska for general race updates,  itidiaries.blogspot.com for Ryan updates.

TL; DR: Quiet news day…we no communicado.

I haven’t heard from Ryan since yesterday afternoon, so all I can do is recap the Dot’s day thus far…and include pictures I forgot yesterday, as well as another round of What Would Ryan Say?

Ryan’s ride (all times in AKST):

*Rohn (187) departed @ 2:00pm, slight detour (too soon?), and then tussocks until 1:15am, where he bivvied just shy of the Bear Creek Cabin (226).  My guess for the bivvy vs. cabin is there was no room at the inn, quiet and solitude, and/or he needs to lower the cost per use on his new sleeping bag.

*6.5hr bivvy and has been pedaling towards Nikoli (259.3) at various speeds (tracks with what 350 finishers have said about the area) since 8am. 

Yesterday I mentioned tussocks and how frustrating they are for racers…I forgot the picture I wanted to provide for a visual of what their WINTER ultra looked like in this section.

What Say You Ryan?

**Click HERE for an article on all the "Rigs of ITI" including Ryan's setup!**

Day 4: What’s your favorite piece of gear?

    A. ***Salsa Mukluk bike (technically his answer, as it was his immediate answer for obvious reasons)

    B. Toasty pogies (habitually hot hands means these matter less to him than they would for you or me)

    C. New Smith goggles (I can’t believe he remembered to pack them…but, yes, he does think he looks good)

    D. ***Ride Forward rear bag for sleeping bag (what I think his answer really is, as it was the most excited I’ve seen him while prepping for the race, and if it works as good as he hoped it would alleviate so.many.frustrations. So far, so good…thanks JayP!)

Day 5: I say the (Farewell) Burn, you say…..

    A. Kinda ugly…(#sorrynotsorry)

    B. Bring on the wildlife! (2024 Bison Jam!)

    C. I really liked (I can’t help but note the past tense when he gave this answer)

    D. I actually miss the climb & descent of Rainy Pass (how short his memory is!)

Comment with your guess and I’ll reveal the answer tomorrow!!

ITI 2025 Day 4: Puntilla Lake (153) - Past Rohn (189.5)

Follow @itialaska for general race updates, the blog for Ryan updates. 

Ryan’s ride (all times in AKST):

*Puntilla (153) arrived @9:12am in time for breakfast (coffee), sleep until lunch, ate a meatloaf dinner, and dried gear. Set alarm for 3:30am.  Actually departed early @ 3:10am (and made me a liar to his family!)

*Rainy Pass (high point of the course, 172) @ 9:13am (that’s 5.5hrs faster than 2024) 

*Rohn (187) arrived @ 12:20pm (descent took 3hrs. less than 2024), slammed his two brat limit, and pedaled off for a 1.5hr stop

*Promptly veered right on the river (wrong), a seemingly common mistake as of late (fresh tracks breed fresh tracks). Not common was Ryan’s choice in correcting course…not the best time for his tracker and Find My to stop updating (grrrrrr).  He was reporting lots of bushwacking and scrubby trees…warming up for the tussocks to come?

Tussocks?  Little (large) tufts of exposed grass that present a bumpy, slow ride when there’s now snow….and in the Burn there is no snow.

Hopefully Ryan can enjoy the long slog to Nikoli (259.3) knowing there’s your beloved bivvy spot (I think we’re at three years running at this spot?!?!) @ 218 and Bear Cabin Shelter (225) if a break is needed.  Weather should be good (10 to -10F? with calm winds). So there’s that!

What Say You Ryan?

Day 2 & 3: What is your favorite animal to see on the trail?

(This next section from Puntilla to Nikoli has been where Ryan’s historically seen a lot of wildlife)

    A. Bison (definitely cool, but once you’ve seen a herd, you’ve seen them all. Plus they jam the trail)

    B. Caribou (never spotted but #1 on the wish list)

    C. ***Lynx (no hesitation either because I was right - hard to spot, or I was right - so affirming of his

        spotting skills)

    D. Fox (LEAST favorite. their shenanigans are NOT a welcomed source of entertainment - get in your

        sled, steal your food, not cool. Except it is, right?!?!

Day 4: What’s your favorite piece of gear?

    A. Salsa Mukluk bike (I mean, you respect the ride)

    B. Toasty pogies (gotta keep the mitts warm)

    C. New Smith googles (I mean, I look good)

    D. Ride Forward rear bag for sleeping bag (most recent solution to something on my gear tinkering list)

Comment with your guess and I’ll reveal the answer tomorrow!!

ITI 2025 Day 2 & 3: Hooligan’s Retreat (71.6) - Bivy (137.5) - Puntilla (153)

It was a quiet two days in terms of communication and pictures from Ryan (an indication that the trail is good), but everyone seems to still be cruising!  For a recap of the general race flow, tons of insight, and fun facts, I urge you to check out the trail updates from the Wild Winter Women- WWW (under “News” on the ITI webpage and @wildwinterwomen on Youtube)

Ryan’s days (on paper at least) looked quite nice (all times in AKST):

*Hooligan’s Retreat (71.6) left @7:13am (roughly a 7hr. rest)

*Skwentna (86.7) @ 9:13am (1:15hr stop) 

*Shell Lake (102.4) @ 1:10pm (30min stop)

*Finger Lake (123.9) @6:03pm (15min stop…must have been a cluster)

*Bivy spot (137.5) @ 10:58pm

Race veteran/badass/dear friend Faye described his choice in bivvy spot, “the place where Ryan stopped is up a bit higher in a few small hills (probably warmer than on the river or lakes and in some trees so it’s likely protected” (FYI, this is the type of intel gold you get with the WWW!).  “Good, but no Lights” ~ Ryan when asked how his night under the stars went. I’m going to assume 10/10 would recommend ;-)

*Bivy (137.5) left @ 4:20am (roughly a 5.5hr rest)

*Pedal, pedal, pedal and arrived at Puntilla Lake (153) @ 9:12am

He arrived just in time for his most favorite cup of coffee (non-Ruby of course!) and breakfast at the historic Rainy Pass Lodge.  We conversed in Spanish (usually a good sign) about how his race friends were faring and he promptly didn’t answer any of the questions I had for him..save what the plan was next: “sleep until lunch” 👏👏  I would expect at some point soon he’ll be on the move!

Funny story/Feeling Awful

@ Yentna I remarked how fast Ryan was going (“You’re 9hrs ahead of last year!”)...he responded, “Huh, I would have thought I would have been faster…I’ve been damp all day (meaning he was a-working)”  He left before I realized my error…I wasn’t making the time change and he was really 12hrs faster.  Eek! Need to dust off the rust on my dot watching #rookiemistake!

What Say You Ryan?

Day 1: What was the last thing Ryan purchased prior to the race?  

(Hint: He purchased it in Anchorage)

A. ***Black Diamond head lamp (left it on the drop box, aka dining room, table.  He had two others, but all his drop boxes had mostly AA batteries and well, those use AAA…to REI (again) he went)

B. A new bike (it actually broke in transport two years ago!)

C. A sweet new cycling cap (good eyes friends, but this was purchased prior to departure)

D. A lynx pelt for a new snap ruff (had Alaskan Fur Exchange had lynx, he’d definitely be the proud new owner of a lynx pelt…apparently the selection this time of year is a bit lackluster. Now, should inventory get built back up whilst he’s on the trail…)

Day 2: What is your favorite animal to see on the trail?

(This next section from Puntilla to Nikoli has been where Ryan’s historically seen a lot of wildlife)

    A. Bison (don’t you dare call it a buffalo!  And they usually come with bison hunters, Ryan’s people)

    B. Caribou (they make for great social media reels)

    C. Lynx (hard to spot, so affirming of his spotting skills)

    D. Fox (their shenanigans are a welcomed source of entertainment)

Comment with your guess and I’ll reveal the answer tomorrow!!

ITI 2025 Day 1: Knik Bar (Start) to Hooligan’s Retreat (71.6)

 

ITI 2025 Day 1: Knik Bar (Start) to Hooligan’s Retreat (71.6)

After breakfast with Ryan’s Alaskan family (thank you for your friendship and hospitality as always Tim & Alice!),Ryan headed to the Hyatt (race hotel) to load himself and his bike.  I have to imagine the bus a lot like lunch time in elementary school, where everyone whips out what snacks were packed and start trading for the good stuff…looks like Perry had the good stuff (caribou jerky and smoked salmon I believe)!!

Race kicked off at 2pm AKST and the takeaway for Day 1: Bad. Fast.

There’s currently very little snow, meaning the rivers the race travel on are essentially “snow pavement” © Kari Gibbons, 1000 mile foot competitor.  While glare ice is terrifying to me, it’s perfect for fast pedaling with the right studded tires.  It appears everyone’s got the right studded tires, as we’re currently witnessing a record pace for the bike: he course record to Puntilla is 19:11(John Lackey, 2015)....The lead group of four (including Lackey!!) arrived to Puntilla in 18:49. Boom.  h/t Matt Webb :-)

While not quite as fast, Ryan’s cruising (all times in AKST):

*Butterfly Lake (26.8) @4:46pm (10min stop) ~ 2hrs. faster than 2024

*Yentna Station (56) @ 9:02pm (1:10hr stop) ~ 4:15hrs. faster than 2024

*Hooligan’s Retreat (71.6) @ 12:13am (7hr. stop) ~ 11hrs. faster than 2024

Ryan “rested” at the new stop, Hooligan’s Retreat…and by rest I mean share the space with 17 other racers.  That’s a lot.  I asked Ryan how the new digs were: “Cramped”...I added that I hoped they were equally as stinky ;-)

Goal for Day 2 is Finger Lake (123.9).  Weather should be uneventful, maybe a touch warm (High 34/Low 19, cloudy, 5mph crosswind).

Now for the fun part!! 

Inspired by a survey the Wild Winter Women Collective sent out to get details on racers they’d soon be writing about (if you haven’t checked out their new video recaps, head on over and subscribe to their YouTube channel! Written updates will be shared on ITI’s race communications), I asked Ryan a series of questions before he left (getting a response was almost as much of a feat as his race!) and will turn them into a multiple choice question for y’all to guess his answer :-) So, without further ado… What Say You Ryan?

What was the last thing Ryan purchased prior to the race?  

(Hint: He purchased it in Anchorage)

A. Black Diamond headlamp (left his at home)

B. A new bike (broke in transport)

C. A sweet new cycling cap (always on the hunt)

D. A lynx pelt for a new snap ruff (can’t pass up the lynx)

Comment with your guess and I’ll reveal the answer tomorrow!!

ITI 2025 Day 0: Pre-race to Start

 

Today (2/23 @ 2pm AKST) Ryan embarked on his 6th Iditarod Trail Invitational (ITI). To get caught up to speed on what the ITI is, see this really bad summary from ChatGPT (here's my plug for people to understand they can do better!):

The Iditarod Trail Invitational (ITI) is one of the toughest and most grueling endurance races in the world, covering a course of over 1,000 miles along the historic Iditarod Trail in Alaska. It's unique because participants can compete in various modes of transportation—foot, bike, or ski—and must complete the entire journey in harsh, freezing conditions.

The race typically begins in Anchorage, Alaska, and ends in Nome, following the same trail used during the Iditarod sled dog race. The ITI challenges competitors with extreme cold, isolation, unpredictable weather, and limited access to supplies, requiring participants to be highly self-sufficient.

Racers carry everything they need, including food, gear, and emergency supplies, relying on checkpoints along the trail for rest, resupply, and medical support if necessary. The event is typically held in February or March, with the weather ranging from mild to brutally cold, often with deep snow and ice, making the course extremely challenging.

The race is open to individuals and teams, with a strict cut-off time, and participants must navigate remote Alaskan wilderness, proving their endurance, resourcefulness, and resilience in one of the most difficult conditions on Earth.

ChatGPT can make mistakes. Check important info. (the following disclaimer couldn't more true...didn't know ITI could be done in teams?!?!)

2022 Foot (w/ Dan Cooper) - Northern Route                         2023 Bike - Southern Route

                                            

                                                                            2024 Bike - Northern Route

To date, Ryan has completed the 350 distance to McGrath on foot (2020, 2021), the 1000 distance to Nome on foot (2022 - Northern Route), and the 1000 distance to Nome on bike (2023 - Southern Route; 2024 - Northern Route).  This year the plan was to bike the 1000 mile race to Nome via the Southern Route (it rotates annually)....however, the lack of snow and warm temperatures meant ON MONDAY NIGHT of the race, the Iditarod Dog Sled race's decision to start in Fairbanks forced the ITI to switch to the Northern Route (it's a longer story than you probably care to hear, but essentially the ITI race relies on the snowmobile trailbreakers of the Iditarod Dog race to cut a trail for the ITI race. Their race moves, the ITI moves. This is especially true when the Southern Route is in play, where less day-to-day snowmobile traffic occurs).
The map above previews the Northern route, the map below is my created-in-five-second depiction of the route change (not accurate or to scale whoop).

Ryan's training for the race entailed a long period of no snow, no Tuscobia Winter Ultra so that we could take a trip to Idaho (no snow, lots of rain...yay) and a work trip to Puerto Rico (great mimic of race conditions).  He did get to try out a lot of things during his successful unsupported effort at Arrowhead 135, and had plenty of miles in the saddle through nightly dog romps in SD/IA during our recent cold and snow snap.

Ryan left Sioux Falls on Monday, February 17th and has been quite busy visiting with friends, fellow racers, touring City Hall, drinking coffee, eating Moose's Tooth pizza, tooling with the bike, and doing our taxes.

Somethings we're looking forward in this 2025 Edition:
1) Visiting with trail friends from ITIs past
2) Fellow South Dakotan Perry Jewett using his pedal power to get to Nome!
3) Seeing old friends tackle new challenges (whoop whoop Aaron, Jim, and Carol!)
4) Dialing in the gear...some more...
5) Someone gett the ITI 1000 a'tois...Go Josh Brown (has the bike left)! Go Petr Inman (has the foot left)!

About this year's blog:

I chatted with Theo (we've already had a lot of alone time) and he said unless each food faceoff was a very close iteration of pan-seared venison vs. slow-cooked venison, he's not interested in playing.  I would agree...something lackluster about him continually choosing "neither"...

Instead of "Which Would Theo Rather" we'll play "What Say You Ryan?" => I've got 20ish questions I've asked Ryan about the race and I'll give y'all multiple choice options to guess what he said. Round One starts tomorrow!

Apologies for not having things more fleshed out...trying out this new format took longer than anticipated/hoped.  I *think* we're getting it worked out, and so here's to the up and up!

Meanwhile, Ryan's at the first checkpoint (Butterfly Lake, mile 27) 2hrs. faster than laster year...whoop!