Day 6: The Good, the Bad, and the Gnarly

Ginny Robbins, ITI 350 Women’s Bike Champion

Day 6, 2/27/2026

Oh, what a difference a day makes.

At this time yesterday, the first men’s 350 bike champion had just rolled into McGrath. Fast forward 24 hours and the finish line has been busy: 13 racers have now crossed in the 350, with several more closing in. As of 4 PM AKST, however, the scratch count has climbed to 34. The day has delivered both celebration and hard decisions.

Let’s start with the good.

Newly crowned 350 bike women’s champion Ginny Robbins of Victor, Idaho, may be an ITI rookie, but she’s no stranger to tough events. She’s finished the Drift five times (across multiple disciplines) and completed a Fat Pursuit. Ginny signed up for ITI chasing northern lights, big views, camaraderie, and the chance to experience Alaska’s lodges and communities. By all accounts, she found all of it. A self-proclaimed “puffy coat” and “pogie snack” enthusiast, this year’s deep cold likely made her gear preferences look like smart decisions. What an incredible ride.

Right behind her was women’s 350 bike second-place finisher Petra Davis of Anchorage. Another rookie who rode like a veteran, Petra has built an impressive Alaska resume from the Susitna to the White Mountains to the Kenai. She shared that she’s dreamed of ITI for years, inspired by the stories—both the triumphs and the struggles—of past racers. Now, she’s added her own chapter to that history. Her best advice to others considering a dream is to “Always go for it.” 

The 350 bike finish line also welcomed: Tomas Vajdiak (Czech Republic), Ryan Haug (Fargo, North Dakota), Elias Miner (Anchorage, Alaska), Ignacio Pellejero (Girona, Spain), Cameron Ramey (Boulder, Colorado), Cayden Boll (Rio Rancho, New Mexico)
Eric Thomason, Kenneth Jørgensen (Denmark) and Zachary Anderson (Apple Valley, Minnesota).

In the 150-foot division, the finishers included James Ryan (Snohomish, Washington), Joilson Ferreira (Brazil), and Thomas Keene (Clawson, Michigan). Earlier this morning, Jen Novobilski (Anchorage, Alaska), claimed the women’s title around 9:00 AM, with Sarah Kingstrom of Nome, AK and Else Rabou of Courtenay, France, finishing next. Strong efforts across the board. We heard that Sarah powered her race efforts on my Little Pony inspired High Chews candy for inspiration and good vibes, and that she loved them… until she didn’t.

Meanwhile, women’s 350 foot leader Ellen Humberston is just south of Bear Creek Cabin and moving steadily through exceptionally tough conditions toward Nikolai.

Finally, an honorable mention for the 1,000 mile racers who reached McGrath, which is only another checkpoint in the race of that distance - Jay Cable (Fairbanks, Alaska, bike) and Jay Petervary (Victor, Idaho, bike), Brian Stone (Anchorage, Alaska) with Tiziano Mulonia (Italy) expected soon.

And then there’s the gnarly…

Beyond Puntilla, Rainy Pass lived up to its reputation. Late last evening, a veteran racer described conditions as “insane,” noting that “so many people are leaving and then coming back,” and chose to wait before attempting the crossing. He wasn’t alone. A party began forming at Puntilla, and that cautious approach defined much of the day.

Overnight ground blizzards slowed progress to a crawl, with some foot racers logging speeds of just 0.3–0.5 mph. A post from Jay Petervary showed his thermometer needle buried below -40F air temp.

Some racers pushed on regardless. A group left Puntilla late afternoon and moved into the night, with 350-foot athlete Laura Trentini bringing up the rear. As conditions intensified, the gap between Laura and the next racer grew steadily. Several athletes attempted the pass only to turn back—sometimes to wait out weather, sometimes to adjust layers and try again, and in some cases, to end their races.

Five racers—Eric Johnson, Dean Engelhaupt, Jason McDaniel, Kendall Park, and Mayella Kraus—left Puntilla yesterday morning and ended up spending 15 hours overnight bivied in a somewhat protected stand of alders and willows just before the high point of Rainy Pass.   Bivying in “cold cold,” especially when bodies are depleted and stressed, takes a toll. They were not comfortable overnight, but they made it through. Eric, Dean, and Jason caught a ride back to Puntilla in the morning, and we heard reports of one flying back to Anchorage. Today what we saw was racers looking out for each other and helping other racers to stay safe. The conditions have been exceptionally challenging for this year’s edition of the race, and we have seen racers setting their race aside to take care of each other.

Laura Trentini also bivied for several hours a few miles up trail, then got moving again around 10:00 AM, heading toward Rohn just ahead of Mayella Krause and Kendall Park

Back at Puntilla, 350 skier Laura Rushfeldt made the difficult decision to withdraw. After brutal winds over the pass soaked her gear and drained her energy, and with dangerously cold temperatures forecast, she assessed the risks as outweighing the reward. In true ultra fashion, today marked a DNF—“did nothing fatal.” A strong, thoughtful call.

Mid-morning, the final pack of 350-foot racers departed Puntilla with the five-day cutoff looming. Gillian Smith, Sunny Stroeer, Carol Seppilu, and Hillary Kunz are all progressing steadily. Hillary briefly paused and appeared to backtrack, likely seeking shelter from wind and making layer adjustments.

In classic ITI fashion, Bryce Williams in the men’s 350 briefly took a wrong turn toward Hells Gate but corrected it early. The Hells Gate route—better known to Iron Dog racers—loops around Rainy Pass, adds 20-plus miles, and follows the Kuskokwim River with multiple crossings. It’s not a casual detour.

Beyond the pass, reports say the South Fork of the Kuskokwim River is plugged with snow—fresh and old—making for slow going. The swamps and river corridors of the upper Kuskokwim Valley are notoriously cold. With the Nikolai airstrip weather station sitting at least 15 vertical feet above the river, actual temperatures down in the valley could run 10 degrees colder, dipping into the -40s tonight.

At Rohn, there’s at least a touch of comfort: a new tent with space for two-plus additional sleepers and a bit more “luxury.” We’ve also heard a report that “Fireball angels” who went through on a snowmachine were offering Fireball shots between Rohn and Rainy Pass late yesterday, though at Rainy Pass it was reportedly “not worth exposing face even for Fireball.”

From Nikolai to McGrath, racers face a choice: the shorter overland route with more elevation, or the longer, flatter river route—which isn’t always in. This year so far, all racers have chosen the hilly overland route.

It’s been a day of podiums, perseverance, patience, smart calls, and a few hard stops (this time). The good, the bad, and the gnarly—all in 24 hours on the Iditarod Trail.

Stay tuned for more updates and stories from the trail!

Written  by Allison Carolan 

5:00 PM AKST

Thanks to Wild Winter Women - Amanda Harvey, Faye Norby, Jan Redmond Walker, Jessica Roschlan, Kari Anne Gibbons, Laura Wiesmann Hrubes, Leah Gruhn, Lynn Hall, Madeline Harms, Rashelle Hintz, Rebecca McVay-Brodersen, and Sarah Bergstrom, Allison Carolan.