2026 DAMn | Questionable Decisions & The Hardest DAMn Yet!

The DAMn
The DAMn is The Day Across Minnesota, a 240-mile bike race from the South Dakota border with Minnesota to the Wisconsin border, with the course on nearly all rural gravel roads. The race starts at midnight Saturday morning and you have until midnight to get to Wisconsin, that's 24 hours ... or just one day! You're allowed a support crew that can meet you at three checkpoints of your choosing, but they are not allowed to follow you on the course, and you're allowed to stop at any stores/businesses along the course, but you only go through three towns, including Red Wing, and Red Wing is just a mile from the finish. This race will challenge your endurance and ability to function while sleep deprived. It's a DAMn good time!

Best DAMn race plate!

Prior to the 2026 DAMn, I've completed the race 4 times, and I've started 5 times (find links to each year's DAMn blog near the bottom of this post). Over the months since the 2025 DAMn, I was feeling like I was good to skip this year's race and didn't feel like I would get anything unique from this years event. But that all changed 36 hours before the start of the race! 

Going back to my first DAMn in 2018, finishers all received a DAMn coffee mug. 2018 was the only year racers got a mug, every other year was DAMn pint glass, very nice, but I've got lots of pint glasses, so the coffee mug was unique and special! I loved this mug, using it at my desk every day and taking great care of it. Sadly, early in 2025 I broke my DAMn mug and I've been bummed out about that for over a year. Well, a day and half before the start of the 2026 DAMn, Lisa shared a pictured from Instagram that there was a new DAMn mug for 2026! And this set off a wild scramble to get to Gary, SD by Friday night for another DAMn!

My 2018 DAMn mug (glued) on the left and the 2026 DAMn mug on the right

I started by getting a hold of race director and friend, Chase Wark, he was happy to get me into the race at the last minute. Let's call that the easiest part of this sprint to an ultra-endurance race. 

The next challenge with this last minute entry, our two dogs! I called a few places for dog care during the race, but struck out. Our Libby is a challenge, she can't come with Lisa and we can't have a friend stop by the house to feed them and let them out, Libby trusts nobody at our place! So it looked like I needed to ride unsupported so Lisa could stay home with the dogs.

Then there's the logistics of a point-to-point race. I asked around to see if I could bum a ride to Gary with another racer, but no luck. I debated using the new shuttle service from Red Wing to Gary - a GREAT new feature for 2026. But the shuttle was leaving early on Friday and I really needed to work Friday morning. That left just one option, have Lisa drop me off in Gary and pick me up in Hager City. 

With my transportation scramble, I found my good friend and gravel brother, Sean Mattner, was looking for options to get to Gary. He's let me ride with him to The Wolf twice, so it was a good opportunity to offer him a ride to Gary in return.

Lisa had the tough duty of driving 3 hours to Gary, hung out for a short time, before turning around for another 3 hours back to home before it was too late for the waiting and hungry dogs. We planned to leave early Friday afternoon, Sean met us at our place and we hit the road by 2:00. This got us to Gary by 5:00. 

After parking at Buffalo Ridge in Gary, Sean and I took some time to get our swag and race plate, get our bikes geared up, eat our dinner, and change into our cycling kit that was going be our second skin for the next 30 hours.

Sean and me ready to start this DAMn ride

After Lisa left Gary, Sean and I tried to nap or just get some quiet rest time. We also walked around talking with friends. After sunset, it was getting cool and I heard that the Rock Room Bar & Grill at Buffalo Ridge had hot coffee, and it was nice that they were open late for us DAMn fools. 

Chase hosted a riders' meeting in front of Buffalo Ridge around 11:15, sharing information about the ride and offering some prizes. It also including DAMn creator, Trenton Raygor, sharing his dad's classic saying "have fun, be safe, and use good judgement!" And then I hear my friend John Jarvis chime in with "that's already questionable ..." HA! 

Then it was time to gather at the start line in front of the Gary fire department.

Some Gary folks clearly having a ton of fun, and not foolish enough to ride across the DAMn state!

The Rain
Leading up to the race, parts of Minnesota was getting its first good rain storm in many weeks. Places along the race course were reporting 4 to 7 inches of rain the day prior to the race start, but the race day was forecast was for dry and sunny weather. In my head, I figured the rain would have run off of, and soaked into, the gravel roads in the 24-36 hours before the race started. I was wrong ... 

The DAMn Ride
After the fireworks signaled the start of the DAMn, we road the short neutral rollout on paved highway out of Gary before the right turn onto the gravel roads. In the first mile of gravel, it was clear that the rain left the roads in rough shape. The roads turned into miles and miles of watt-sucking peanut butter. In gravel bike terms, peanut butter describes roads that are soft like peanut butter which sucks the tires in both draining your power and making bike-handling difficult.

A comparison of the early miles, looking at the first long straight stretch of gravel road (roughly mile 2 through 8). I'm comparing my fastest DAMn in 2024 and slowest in 2026.

Average speed was 13.9 mph in 2026 versus 21.5 mph in 2024 
Max speed in 2026 was 19 mph versus 27.3 mph in 2024 
Normalized power was 137W in 2026 versus 175W in 2024

The tough conditions slowed us all down and the difficulty controlling the bike made it hard to put much power through the pedals. I watched a rider just ahead of me recover as their bike that got all kinds of crazy on these soft road, I had to compliment her bike handling skills, I don't know that I would have been able to recover from that! 

The night felt extra long, it was hard to relax with the soft road conditions. 

A unique challenge in the night, around mile 46, a train was stopped and blocking the crossing on our route. This added a short detour along the rail service road to cross the tracks in front of the train, before crossing a short section of ditch to get back on the route. 

Crossing the tracks in front of the idling engine (screen grab from my GoPro)

I saw the sun rising over the Minnesota River Valley west of Morton for the second year in a row, most years, I don't see the first signs of dawn until Morton or later. But I was sure to enjoy both the moonlit valley and the dawn's first light with patchy fog, it was stunningly beautiful. The other side of this fog, it was letting you know that it was humid ... I was seeing reports of 94% humidity. Humidity that high makes it so hard for the body to cool down, sweat simply can't evaporate. Add to that, this was likely the most mild temps at the start of the DAMn, at least the warmest night of the races I've ridden.

The pre-dawn along the Minnesota River Valley (screen grab from my GoPro)

Riding without Lisa's support, I needed to grab supplies at the gas station in Morton at mile 86. I grabbed a tallboy of Coke and a large cold water. Because I'd mostly used my CamelBak for hydration overnight, and my bottle nozzles were messy with the gravel dust, I poured hydration mix from bottles into my CamelBak and added fresh water to the bottles as a backup hydration option. Also, I needed to wait in the line for the single-stall men's room at the gas station, this is one of those DAMn odd traditions!

My Cutthroat at the Morton gas station with my water & Coke

Getting back on the bike out of Morton felt good, with the sun up, it was much easier to see what you riding over, and the road were getting more firm, but still far from fast road conditions.

As the day was warming up, I forgot exactly where, but I enjoyed the most heartwarmingly loving group of girls with a cooler full of ice, they were offering riders ice cubes. I stopped to grab a couple to put in my jersey at the base of my neck. Those kids were the best!

Around mile 130 I passed a rider as he came to a stop. I asked if he was OK, something I do all DAMn day with most saying all's good, but this rider said he was not OK. I grabbed the brakes and turn back to him, his hands were shaking uncontrollably. It looked like he was suffering from the climbing temps. Where he stopped was very fortunate, there was a farm house driveway with shade right across the road, otherwise, there was very little shade to find on this part of the route. I walked him over to the shade, made sure his bottles had hydration, then asked about his support crew. He let me know that they should be 3 miles up the road with a white Pacifica. He would text his crew while I was going to be sure that they got his message and headed straight to find his crew. I put myself at a little risk with the temp, pushing hard to find his crew. After 3 miles of riding hard, I spotted a white Pacifica headed the other direction. I pointed to the van, the driver waved out the window and shouted that they had him!

After that effort, I slow rolled for another 3-4 miles to find a farmer's aid station at the end of his drive. He had the most wonderful oasis with chairs, tents, cold drinks, snacks, and a port-a-pot.

Rich Hahn's aid station at mile 139

From this aid station, it was roughly 13 miles to Henderson (mile 152), where I planned to get some food, water, and take a break. The miles were going slow and the sun was getting hotter by the minute. I rolled into the gas station in Henderson around 12:20. There were riders resting in the shade anywhere they could find it, everyone was looking a bit rough. 

After grabbing a gallon of cold water, another tallboy can of Coke, a bag of chips, and a pickle in a bag (mostly for the pickle juice), I moved over to the nearby park with a picnic shelter for a shady place to sit. Other riders found this space, and I talked to a couple racers that were calling it a day.

My Henderson feast 

After resting and eating & drinking what I could, loaded up my hydration pack and got myself moving again. 

My goals for my finish this year's DAMn kept backsliding, before starting, I wanted a personal record time, that quickly became a early evening finish, and as the day kept going, I wanted to finish better than my first DAMn back in 2018. Something that seemed 'easy enough' even in the middle of the day. 

After Henderson, there are a few towns near, but not on, the route. I was doing OK, but really kept my effort low to help my body deal with the sun, humidity, and heat. As I rolled past Northfield at roughly mile 200, there are always support crews at a bridge here and I was happy to get some help with wet towels to get the sweat and sunscreen out of my eyes. Frustratingly, that only lasted a few miles before my eyes were stinging and blurry again.

Lisa texted that she was headed to Hager City to welcome me at the finish and she asked if I'd like a support stop on the last 30 miles. I had planned to go unsupported, but I was interested in more ice cold water and other cooling to help me with the final miles. She was planning to meet me at White Rock, roughly mile 224, but after the climb out of Cannon Falls around mile 216, I realized I wasn't going to be able to make it to her and asked her to move closer to me. I found her just after mile 218, and I NEEDED that support. Lisa had a chair for me to sit down in as I got icy cold towels on my head, down my back, and in the front of my jersey while drinking ice cold water and Coke. I felt as bad as I've ever felt on these final miles of the DAMn, and I was having questions if my body would recover enough to push on. But after about 20 minutes, I got up and was ready to get back on the bike to cover the last miles to Hager City.

I was a mess when I found Lisa, and she knew how to put me back together to finish!

I had a spark of energy after the stop, but it honestly didn't last long before I was just slogging along to get to the finish.

 

I never thought this year would take me so long to finish and I never made plans to ride into the night again. So lights became an interesting challenge. My Garmin Varia radar/light was nearly dead and I had my rear blinky light on my CamelBak, I left the hydration pack with Lisa, so I move the blinky to a strap on the back of my helmet. I had a headlight on my handlebars with some battery left, plus my lower power light mounted to the front of my helmet. It was not ideal, but happily there was some dusk light left as I made my way through Red Wing. By the time I crossed the river and made my way past the Harbor Bar to the finish line, it was dark.

Sunset before Red Wing with the blinky light hanging from my helmet strap and helmet headlight

I was not my typical happy self at the finish, I was wrecked! It was nice to see a couple friends after I finished, and get a couple pics ... but I needed a chair to sit down before I collapsed!

Looking cooked at the finish line [photo credit: DAMn photographer]

Lisa got a chair set up for me by the finishing chute so I could slowly sip my hard earned beer and watch for Sean to roll in. After finishing the beer, and no sign of Sean yet, I took a minute to change out of my cycling kit next to the car (I hope nobody witnessed that full moon). After I got changed, Lisa found Sean had finished, so we went to congratulate him on his 8th DAMn finish, he's completed every DAMn year, and we helped him get ready for the trip home.

Lisa, Sean, and me at the end of a DAMn long ride! [photo credit: DAMn photographer]

Results

My official time: 21:10:41 (my slowest finish), making me 124th place of the 158 finishers. 

I understand that roughly 350 riders started in Gary, so that means 192 racers DNF'd this year, or 55%, of riders ended their DAMn before getting to Hager City. That is both the largest number of, and highest percentage of, starters that did not finish the DAMn ... it was an exceptionally challenging year! 

Nerdy Details

Based on my power meter, I spent 10% more energy this year compared to 2024 (9,343 kJ in 2026 versus 8,514 kJ in 2024). 2024 was the year when I set the fatbike course record; and I finished nearly 4-1/2 hours faster on my Pugsley than on my new Cutthroat!?! 

Validating my experience, Chris Matthews posts statistics to Facebook for The DAMn over the years, including the median finisher's time each year:

2017 18:42
2018 19:42
2019 19:06
2020 18:48
2021 19:36
2024 17:12 [fastest year]
2025 18:54
2026 19:54 [slowest year]

After that DAMn Ride 
Sean and I must have entertained Lisa driving us home, I know I was hallucinating and babbling, Sean couldn't have been any better off than me! Thankfully Lisa thought to offer to drop Sean at his house so he didn't have to drive back home from our place (he biked over the next day to get his car). You will have to ask Lisa about driving these two delusional guys after the DAMn!

Stepping on the scale Sunday morning, I was down 5 lbs from the morning before the race ... and by Monday I was back up to pre-race weight. That says a lot about the amount I was sweating!

Gear & Nutrition

I rode my custom Salsa Cutthroat built summer 2025

My custom Salsa Cutthroat

Food and drink was interesting, since I had drained much of my stock on The Wolf two weeks earlier and had no plans on riding the DAMn this year. I scraped together what I had around the house, and a some from a trip to the grocery store:

Embark Coffee Maple .5 liter pouch
Kirkland Maple .5 liter pouch (I'll be going back to Embark Salted Maple, Kirkland wasn't the same)
Jelly Belly Sports Beans
Clif Bloks
Honey Stinger Waffles
Skratch Labs drink mix, with additional sodium citrate (I'm a salty sweater)

My DAMn history

For reference, here is my personal DAMn history for the 8 times it's been held (links to ride reports): 

• 2017: I was too scared to even sign up
• 2018: 20:45:03 on my Breezer Radar Pro gravel bike. That gave me 83rd place of 116 finishers (plus 56 DNF)
• 2019: 18:59:00 on my Breezer Radar Pro gravel bike. That gave me 57th place of 117 finishers (plus 120 DNF)
• 2020: signed up, but COVID concerns got me to take a raincheck
• 2021: 18:42:49 on a drop-bar Pugsley fatbike. That gave me 79th place of 231 finishers (plus 162 DNF)
• 2024: 16:47:33 setting the fatbike course record! That gave me 126th place of 320 finishers (plus 75 DNF)
• 2025: Riding in support of John Ingham, we called it a day after 150 miles in Henderson and DNF'd
• 2026: 21:10:41 on my new Cutthroat. That's 124th place of 158 finishers (plus ~192 DNF)

I am still a little shocked that I went from being too scared to sign up for The DAMn in 2017 to signing up with just 36 hours notice in 2026. The DAMn has been a huge building block for me to grow as an ultra-endurance rider, and I'm so grateful for the supportive community that has helped me as I explore bigger and bigger challenges! 

Thank You!

Lisa Nelson showed me that DAMn mug post a day before the start and suggested I ride this year. Then she put in that long ass drive to & from Gary, SD on Friday so she could be home with the dogs while I biked through the night. She helped save my ride when the heat was draining me. Plus driving a couple DAMn exhausted riders home safely! 

Finisher's banner with Lisa, my amazing support crew! [photo credit: DAMn photographer]

Chase Wark for getting me registered at the very last minute. And for keeping the DAMn tradition going!

Neutral aid stations, both the bike folks and the local community along the route. So many amazingly supportive and helpful folks out there caring for the DAMn racers! 

Next

Looking forward, I have my sights on the Double DAMn, riding from Gary to Hager City, then turning around and riding back to Gary on a different route. This is a 48-hour time limit and will stretch me to new limits. Chase confirmed he plans to host the Double DAMn again in 2028.

I wanna get this pic after the Double DAMn!

For 2027, in preparation for the Double DAMn, I want to test myself on the Unbound XL, 350 miles of Kansas gravel, unsupported! 

YouTube I'll post a link to my edit in a week or two ... 

The 2026 Wolf | In Oppressive Heat

The Wolf is a three-day bikepacking stage race coursing through the heart of the North country wilds. The Wolf is a timed event (each day’s stage is timed.) This is the event that will test your endurance and grit and maybe even set your eyes on bigger adventures like The Tour Divide.

My Cutthroat over the Temperance River

This a self-supported bikepacking event, meaning that you must ride with your camp gear, inluding your tent/bivy, sleeping bag & pad. Riders do not need to bring all their food for the 3 days or cooking kit; dinner is available in the towns where we camp and the race organizer provides a wonderful breakfast every morning of the event. 

The course is an amazing route through the Arrowhead region of Minnesota, nearly all in the Superior National Forest!

the route: day 1 in red, day 2 in blue, and day 3 in green

I raced The Wolf for the first time back in 2024 with my drop-bar Pugsley (link to the 2024 ride report). But 2026 was my first bikepacking race with my new Salsa Cutthroat (link to blog post on this bike build). I built up the Cutthroat during the summer 2025 with the goal of using it for rides like The Wolf, and this ride validated it was the right bike for me! 

The Drive North and Night in Finland
The Wolf starts early Friday morning in the small town of Finland, MN. My good friend and fellow gravel nut, Sean Mattner, picked me up at my place a little after 2:00 on Thursday afternoon for the 4-hour drive up to the Wildhurst Lodge outside Finland for the race check in and our place to camp for the night before the start. The long drive went quick as we enjoy catching up with each other and our crazy adventures as we traveled towards Finland. We needed a quick grab-and-go and Burrito Union Tequila Bar in Duluth; that was the perfect option for some good road food and fuel for the first day of The Wolf! 

We rolled into the Wildhurst Lodge and Camp just a few minutes before Jeremy was closing event check in for the night. Jeremy Kershaw, race director and amazing human, got us ready for the start the next morning. Next, Sean and I looked for a place to set up for a night's sleep. We were kinda lucky, we arrived late and were allowed to select any open campsite instead of the large group site with most racers. Sean planned to sleep in his van, and I found a private tent campsite for my tiny bivy. 

My bivy set up for the night before the start

After setting up camp, I walked up to the small bar and restaurant in the campground. I needed some drinking water, but it was getting late enough that I wanted to avoid beer, it messes with my sleep if I drink it too late (damn I'm old!) At the bar, I got to meet a few Wolf riders, including Luke Wendt who come from Columbus, Ohio for The Wolf! 

The night was good, but I was slow to fall asleep with my mind was full of details for the coming days. I used a sleep mask and ear plugs to try to help me sleep; both ended up being more of a distraction than a help, so I put them over my head in the tiny storage space in the bivy. I was awake before the first light of the morning and was greeted by yips and howls. There was a debate  amongst the riders if this was a group of coyotes or some young wolves. Either way, they were close to the campground and a cool way to start The Wolf!

As I packed up my camping gear in the morning, I found only one of those earplugs I took out in the night ... I was annoyed but finding the missing earplug wasn't worth much effort. 

After packing up, racers needed to make the short trip from Wildhurst to the Finland Community Center for breakfast and the start of the race. 

Day 1: Finland to Ely | 89 miles

The race organizers offered riders a simple breakfast with yogurt, granola, berries, pastries, and COFFEE! Following breakfast, Jeremy had a quick rider's meeting, before releasing the pack.

Morning coffee at the Finland Community Center

Riding out of Finland is lovely, the road follows a section of the Baptism River. [Spoiler alert: this section of road didn't feel as lovely on the way back to Finland on Sunday!] These first 12 miles were fast in the cool of the morning with fresh legs. I wasn't pushing myself hard at all (staying in my zone 2) and was moving at 16 mph with a fully loaded bike on gravel roads! I knew this wasn't going to last, but a great way to start the day. 

Early miles along the Baptism River

Later in the morning, we had some relatively tame ATV trails and I got the best compliment, another rider said that I was descending the hills on the trail fast. I'm a very nervous descender, so this was a great validation that my Cutthroat was the right bike for me, giving me the confidence to descent with speed! 

By mid-day, I was feeling some pain in my left foot, I was thinking it was a hot spot from the warmer socks I put on in the chilly morning. But fast forward to when I got to Ely and took my shoes off, I found that damned ear plug that was missing in the morning! My foot was tender the rest of the night, but happily, the next morning I'd forgotten about it hurting. 

Going back to the morning racer's meeting, Jeremy let riders know that there was a route change, a gravel road was closed and we'd need to spend 7 additional miles on Hwy 1. This is a main highway in the region and doesn't have a shoulder. I've found this type road stressful for years. I was fortunate to connect with a small group of riders, including Luke & Tom (this year's sole fatbiker). There was a sense of safety in a group, plus we worked together to get these highway miles done fast. 

Near the end of this long highway section, we found the day's aid station. I enjoyed the wolf wrap, which is peanut butter, bacon bits, and maple syrup wrapped in a tortilla ... SO GOOD! Plus a couple shots of ice cold Coke and I was good to push on to Ely. 

The aid station with riders and bikes all over the place

Late in the day, the route took us through Babbitt. Other than where we camped, this is the only town we rode through the whole weekend that offered C-stores. This is to point out that this is a very remote part of Minnesota, and this route is focused on the roads less traveled. 

After Babbitt, there were more highway miles, but at least there was a good shoulder. In the late afternoon with temps rising near 90°F, this got to be a challenging end to the day with no shade along this highway.

I rode into Ely alone, a quick ride through the small town and down to the camping site at Semer's Beach Park on Shagawa Lake. And this beach offered the riders our post-ride clean-up ... in the lake! It was so cool and refreshing! 

Dinner was on your own. Sean and I rode up to the Boathouse Brewpub & Restaurant along the main drag in Ely. We knew we found a good place based on the bikes leaning all around the place.

bike parking at the Boathouse Brewpub

We enjoyed beers and dinner at the bar while watching the tail end of a World Cup match. And for my desert, I had their blueberry beer, with fresh berries in it... so it was healthy, right??

Back at the campground, I shuffled around for an hour or two, getting as much ready as possible for the next morning. I was in my bivy long before dark, dozing off to the sounds of kids playing in the water.

Day 2: Ely to Grand Marais 106 miles.

Early Saturday morning, after packing up my camping gear and getting dressed for the day, everyone gathered in a small event space at the beach for our breakfast of COFFEE, scrambled eggs, skillet potatoes, and lots of other fuel for the day ahead. 

bikes loaded and ready to go at the start of day two

The day started with a climb outta the beach and roughly 10 miles of mostly tame paved and gravel roads. Followed by 14 miles of the spiciest ATV trails. These ATV trails tested everyone's bags and packing to make sure everything was truly secure! 

The miles after the ATV trail were long, but nothing terribly challenging. including some beautiful and inviting lakes with the heat rising. I didn't dip into these lakes ... kinda wish I did. 

We found the one aid station at mile 54, I went for the fox wraps (pickle and humus wrapped in a tortilla), it sounded better on the hot day than the wolf wrap; plus a couple cold shots of Coke. With the long hot day, I was sure to top up my hydration too. 

Just before mile 80, Jeremy set up a second aid station because of the heat in the forecast. This was more basic, mostly water for your bottles but also offered more cold Coke which was much appreciated.

It was odd, but I didn't suffer the temps in the mid-to-upper 90s. I hate to think it's the first time I've done this, but I don't remember when I last used a water bottle to douse myself to cool down. I had one bottle on the bike with plain water and as the temp rose I'd pour a little water in the vents of my helmet, down my back, and some on my arms and legs. The water wasn't cold, but still seemed to offer my body help with the high temps.

I caught Luke a few miles from the paved highway decent into Grand Marais. As we rode together, I shared that I was looking forward to the fast and easy miles on a paved highway. We were lightly pedaling or freewheeling for a few miles along the descent. Then there was the last mile, dropping to the camp ground on Lake Superior, the temp drop 20-30°F in last few blocks to the campground! And I still felt I needed for more cooling and waded out into the lake's fringed water, Lake Superior rarely gets above 50°F.

chillin' in Lake Superior

We set up camp close to the lake and cleaned up from the day's long and dusty ride. Bonus, this campground offered showers! 

After taking care of things at the camp, Sean and I walked to into Grand Marais for the classic Hungry Hippie Tacos for tacos and burritos. Another place that was clearly popular with racers, the restaurant was full of Wolf riders. 

hard earned beer

Next was a stop at Voyager Brewing Company. We all got a beer token at the finish for the day and that needed to be spent! After our hard earned beer, we slowly walked back to the campground. I did a little prep for the next morning. But I was so tired, I was sleeping before it was dark or quiet. 

Day 3: Grand Marais to Finland 66 miles

To start the day, we were treated to another wonderful breakfast, this morning's main offering was breakfast burritos, and that really hit the spot for me! Next, Jeremy had a quick riders' meeting and got everyone started early in hopes of beating the worst of the heat in the forecast.

start of day 3 and ready to ride

Starting day was a big challenge, the climb out of Grand Marais, I've done it a few times and it's never easy. You climb roughly over 1,000 ft in the first 8-9 miles. Starting at the campground, it's a steep ramp for a few blocks that will get you into your smallest gear and wishing for something smaller for your tired legs. 

After that long climb, the route calms down, but the temps were climbing fast as we rode away from the cool of Lake Superior. Happily, the early miles included many shaded roads keeping the sun off of you and making the heat less oppressive.

The route including a lovely section on Honeymoon Trail, a twisty and rolling road that keeps you active, but not challenged, as you ride through a beautiful forest. 

Those last miles back to Finland, the ones that were lovely on Friday morning along the Baptism River ... they were brutal on Sunday afternoon. 10-12 miles of strong headwinds on a wide gravel road with no shade on offer and lots of midday traffic that wasn't always kind about slowing down to keep the dust down or make it feel comfortable on the road. Then add the heat, I'm sure the temp was above 100°F.

Rolling into the finish back at the Finland Community Center, the was a great relief ... the finish line was under the picnic shelter, with SHADE! I was asked how it felt, and I said it felt like we rode through Satan's ass crack! 

the end of day 3 [photo credit: Jeremy Kershaw]

We had a cooler full of icy cold beverages in the shady picnic shelter, but better still was the garden hose to cool down and rinse off some of the gravel dust. 

Sean and I took our time cooling off under the picnic shelter and recovering before going to his van that'd been in the blazing sun all weekend. Opening it up was like opening a blast furnace! After airing out the heat in the van, we packed in our bikes and gear for the drive back to the Twin Cities ... with another stop at Burrito Union Tequila Bar in Duluth for the road food. 

Results
I finished 20th overall, with combined time of 19:28, of 39 riders finished, plus there were 10 riders that DNF'd. I was the 3rd fastest of 9 racers in my age group (55+), and was only seconds behind 2nd place (Luke); but the fastest 55+ rider was over 2 hours faster! 

I was happy with these results, compared to 2024, when I was 34th of the 55 riders that started. Clearly the Cutthroat was a faster bike for me! (& I would hope that a light weight Cutthroat would be faster than my drop-bar Pugsley I used in 2024 😆)

Three days of long miles gives me a taste of what the pro riders are doing on something like the Tour de France ... I can tell you that I didn't have what it would take for a day 4 of The Wolf... at least in these hot conditions. My day-after-the-Wolf ride was a very slow ride to/from the grocery store that's less than a mile from home! 

Thank you!

Jeremy Kershaw and Avesa Rockwell these two have created the most amazing events that are welcoming, inclusive, and fun. Plus they host events that are as challenging as you want to make it! They are the best at gathering amazing volunteers, sponsors, and a cast of characters to ride these adventures.

Volunteers all of the Heck events have the most dedicated and caring volunteers. They do the most important work, hosting the check points and riding sweep to be sure nobody is stranded in the wilderness. They bring joy and support to all the riders! 

Sean Mattner we have been riding gravel together for 10-12 years, funny enough, there's a picture of us riding the Almanzo years ago when we didn't know each other yet, but were still in the same picture. Sean's a great friend on many levels, and I truly appreciate carpooling on the long trip to Northern Minnesota, and back, with somebody that is easy to talk with and makes the hours fly by!  

Gear List

The Bike: 

Salsa Cutthroat (link to full bike build)

my Cutthroat at the end of day 2 in Grand Marais

List of my bags:
Cedaero Salsa Cutthroat V2 Half Frame Pack

Cedaero Tank Top Bolt-on Pack 

Revelate Handle Bar Harness
Revelate SPINELOCK™ 16L
Ortleib Fork-Pack
CamelBak Lobo 100 oz hydration pack
CageRocket toolbox, with my multi-tool, patch kits, and other field repair stuff, in the seat tube bottle rack

The Sleep System:
Black Diamond Bipod Bivy
1980's LL Bean down sleeping bag
NEMO Quasar 3D Insulated Air Sleeping Pad

bivy set up at the Grand Marias campground

Postscript | fires and heavy smoke 

We got out of the North just before major wildfires broke out, making the air unbreathable and the sky looking like a hellscape. Riders were fortunate but also very thoughtful about the folks that live and make their livelihoods up north.

2026 Ragnarök 105

The Soul-Crushing Winds with All The Leg-Wrecking Climbs! 

The Ragnarök 105 is old skool gravel, and it is proudly sticking to its roots! To the best of my knowledge, this is the longest running gravel event in Minnesota that continues to this day, first run in 2008 - link to the 2007 post announcing the first race. This was my fourth Rök, so I'm still a n00b with an event this old. In fact, I didn't dip my toe in the gravel pond until 2014. 

The race organizers keeps the traditions of classic gravel alive, for example, you register for the race by sending a post card with your info. It's free to ride (but donations are really needed to support this event and allow it to continue). There are no prizes or podium, timing is simple hand-captured times. The route is navigated by cue sheets (AKA tulips), there is not published GPS route; and the race organizer tells you every year that the course will be different [SPOILER ALERT: they changed the route this year] This a self-support event, there is no support vehicle; so, if you have a mechanical, you need to fix it, and if you get tired ... well, you need to figure it out!

The cue sheet with the route changes near the bottom

Ragnarök is always challenging, it's so early in the season and non-stop climbing & descending, plus some gnarly MMR (Minimal Maintenance Roads). 

The sawtooth profile of course

With a 7:30 start time, it's an early alarm at 5:00am and on the road before 6:00. For a little fun, I was a few miles from home, running a little late, and I realized I was wearing my glasses; totally forgot to put in my contacts.

The route starts just south of Red Wing at Mississippi National Golf Links. The start area is simple, a parking lot, a reg table, and a few outhouses. 

Temps at the start were just above freezing, and never got much above 40℉ all day long. The course starts with a short neutral section for the first half mile of pavement, as we climb a punchy 370 ft hill right out of the parking lot. Get used to these climbs, 'cause they just keep coming. In the first 14 miles, you've climbed 1,400 ft. These first few descents were rough for me, we had light misty rains and my glasses were fogging over to the point I couldn't see a damned thing. 

Start line selfie with the much smaller crowd of riders

After those opening climbs, you get rewarded with a steep MMR (Minimal Maintenance Road) climb, depending on the conditions, this one can make many riders walk.

The roads settle down for a while to more tame rollers before you get to Zumbro Falls at mile 36 for the first check point. You must check in and get a fresh set of cue sheets for the route to the second check point. Zumbro Falls offers a C-store if you need any supplies. I'm typically in great shape at this point and make a fast turn around in Zumbro Falls.

After Zumbro Falls, riders are rewarded with some lovely miles along the Zumbro River. Along here, I saw a large number of turkey vultures riding the winds on the river bluffs, I told them that I'm not dead yet!

Even on a grey day, the Zumbro River valley is lovely

Around mile 60, you get a few miles in a lovely nature refuge along the river. Depending on when the snow melted and how well the roads dried out, this can be soft with peanut butter conditions. My first year riding Ragnarök, I thought I had a flat in this section, my tires were just sinking into the soft roads. 2026 wasn't too bad, but lots of puddles and mud to avoid as best you can.

After climbing out of the river valley, there were 12 miles up in the fields with no shelter from the winds. It was either crosswinds or block headwinds ... those headwinds could bring you to a grinding halt. I was on a slight rise, riding into the wind, and I found myself in my easiest climbing gear ... SERIOUSLY?!?

Around mile 78, you get a long descent into Lake City. Here you go right past a gas station, and I typically want to stop here to get some additional water/Coke/drink, but this year I was well stocked and went right past. 

Shortly after the gas station is the second checkpoint. The volunteer made sure I knew that there was a change to the course, don't follow an old route on your GPS device (I was). He said that this change removed a climb in the final miles, and I was so happy to hear this!

Not far out of Lake City, you get another steep MMR, climbing 450 ft up from the Mississippi River ... and it always hurts this deep into the ride! This was the climb that got me walking, I found myself on a bad line, near the top, is was super soft mud with deep ruts, there was no easy way to recover, so a little walking was the safe choice. 

Right after you complete this climb, you come to CR 5, the classic route takes a left, and you immediately go back down. The issue, the 2026 route took a right at CR 5. I misunderstood my cue sheets and took the left turn. When I got to the bottom of the decent, I found Kristian looking lost. I said that I thought we needed to go another couple miles to find the turn, but I was totally wrong. After too many miles, we stopped, looked at our phones to see that we were headed back to Lake City ... F*CK! Back up the CR 5 hill, and a few more miles back to find the correct course.

That grey line on the top right, that was my bonus miles

The final 10 miles repeat these 350 ft climbs a few more times, just to hurt your legs a little more. After cresting the last climb, I got hit with this brutal crosswind and got "sandblasted" with ice pellets, that HURT! Then, you are rewarded with the final descent back to the parking lot at the golf course. I don't think I've every rolled into this finish feeling anything other than totally drained, 2026 was no exception!

The finish line selfie and FINALLY some blue skies!

With my choose-your-own-adventure route, I finished with 108.7 miles and 8,300 ft of climbing. I added 6.25 miles, 480 ft of climbing, and 37 minutes with my missed turn. But even with that error, I got me my highest ranked finish at Ragnarök, 32nd place of 67 riders that started (including 21 DNF); and my official time was 9:16.

I rode my new-last-year Cutthroat, it was great all day. 

My custom-built Salsa Cutthroat

I ran my 2.1" GravelKing tires at 24 psi rear and 22 psi front. In retrospect, I really need to focus on lower tire pressures, I use the Wolf Tooth pressure calculator, and I'm sure they are giving optimal pressures for fast riders and maximizing rolling efficiency. I'm not that fast, in fact I'm faster with better grip, which would be slower for the fastest/strongest riders. But I'm not super confident in my bike-handling and use the brakes too much, especially on descents, when I'm not feeling comfortable with the footing.

In a rare treat, GoPro's Quik app created a decent edit, link to YouTube with footage from my ride. 

NERD ALERT! 

Comparing my stats over the last 3 years:

Year	2026	2025	2024
Rank	32/67 (21 DNF)	52/131 (30 DNF)	67/117 (6 DNF)
Time	9:16	8:27	8:10
Bike	Cutthroat	Pugsley	Pugsley
Distance	108.7	106.7	106.8
Speed	12.1	13.1	13
Power Ave	191 W	202 W	188 W
Normalized Power	209 W	204 W	196 W
Power 20 Min Max	237 W	220 W	223 W
Calories	6,244	5,791	5,357
Work	5,505 kJ	5,116 kJ	4,691 kJ
Power meter	Quarq	Rally	Rally

Footnote: my Pugsley uses single-sided Garmin Rally XC100 power meter pedals, versus the Cutthroat on Quarq dual-sided power meter. It's also worth noting that I was 50/50 balance this year, despite typically being 53/47 (left/right), meaning that power and work numbers could be over reported in 2025 and 2024 since I haven't bother to update the single-sided power balance with my normal left dominate power ... the calculations simply double the left power numbers.

That work number for 2026 is massive for me, since I started riding with power in 2021, I've only had a larger effort on The 2024 DAMn; plus two Zwift rides, a failed and a completed vEveresting. Those events were MUCH longer efforts, like 2.5 to 8 hours longer! Oh, and my 5th highest work, that was last year's Ragnarök. It also worth comparing that my ride to the summit of Maunakea in 2024 was 'only' 3,230 kJ ... but also, I've never used a power meter on the Arrowhead 135.

2026 Arrowhead 135 | With Proper Conditions

STRENGTH       ENDURANCE        SOLITUDE       SURVIVAL

The long trail near Fortune Bay

Back in 2024, after completing my first Arrowhead 135, I wrote:
I want to return to the Arrowhead 135 to ride it in true winter conditions, it may sound silly, but I spent years preparing for sub-zero weather and damn it ... I want to challenge myself on this course in those conditions!

Spoiler alert: 2026 delivered true winter conditions! But the real story of my 2026 Arrowhead was terrible intestinal distress that nearly derailed my race.

The Arrowhead 135 Winter Ultra
The Arrowhead 135 is a human-powered winter ultra marathon taking place in the coldest part of winter in one of the coldest places in the Lower 48. The average finish rate is less than 50%, and the finish rate for new racers is much lower. The course is 135 miles across Northern Minnesota on the rugged and scenic Arrowhead State Snowmobile Trail from Frostbite Falls (actually it's International Falls) on the US-Canadian border to Fortune Bay Casino in Tower, MN. Pick a mode of transport: bicycle, ski, or foot. You have 60 hours to complete the course and must check in with the three checkpoints on course, beyond that, you will see virtually no other signs of civilization on the course. Racers are required to carry gear to survive for these extreme conditions as well as a satellite tracker to share where racers are on the course. 

The Arrowhead started with 10 entrants in 2005 and is now roughly 150 starters, featuring some of the best winter ultra-athletes in the world. Historically, it’s the coldest gosh darn race anyplace, even the Arctic, check average temps, virtually every year, luck has the Arrowhead 135 at -30° to -40°C/F, and there's been plenty of frostbite to prove it. Or it snows and is a sloppy mess! Ken & Jackie Kruger organize the Arrowhead 135 with a crew of local folks dedicated to the promotion of human-powered ultra-endurance events across the beautiful Arrowhead Region of Northern Minnesota. The Arrowhead Race Mission is fostering national and international amateur endurance sports such as winter-biking, skiing, and trail running.

Minneapolis Under Attack
It is difficult to share a ride report for the 2026 Arrowhead 135 without also addressing the political assault on Minneapolis, and greater Minnesota, by the US federal government. Bluntly stated, I was questioning my trip to the start line 24 hours before we left because the armed goon squad executed Alex Pretti on a frozen Nicollet Ave, in broad daylight and witnessed by everyone. It was unclear what the fallout from this brutal killing would mean to our community. And there was a part of me wanting join the massive choirs of voices rejecting this completely unjustifiable killing. I was feeling a lot of conflicting emotions. 

Talking with folks at check in, I understand some racers decided not to travel to the race because of the volatile situation in Minneapolis. This is an international event and I hate that my home feels unsafe to visitors from around the world or even other parts of the US! 

Looking back, I feel good about making the trip; in a large part, because our community did so much, so well, I'm beyond proud to call Minneapolis my lifelong home. I will make it a point to help carry the message forward in the coming weeks, allow others time to rest and recharge. Like the Arrowhead 135, this fight for our democracy is massive journey, and we all need to step up and help when able, as well as rest and find joy when needed too. If we let these fascists steal all of our joy, they have defeated us. All that said, it is nevertheless an awkward time for me to celebrate this personal achievement. 

Driving to International Falls

On Sunday morning, we made the decision to make the trip. We got the car loaded with all my gear and bike; plus a small pantry of food too ... there are lots of food options up North, but it's challenging to find options that work with Lisa's (my wife's) dietary restrictions. It also adds value to my race to have our own foods, eliminating possible issues with unknown foods on the road that can cause gut issues on the race. 

The trip was smooth and easy. One story from our drive north was the number of boom trucks and utility crews headed south on I-35. Many states across the south and southeast had just been hit with major winter storms, causing wide spread power outages. It was good to see the help headed where it was badly needed.

Most of my gear stacked up and ready to load in the car

Arriving in International Falls, we went straight to gear check at Backus Community Center. Racers must show that we have all the required gear to survive on the remote trail in the deep-cold (see the list of required gear near the bottom of the post). Once done with gear check and sign in, Lisa and I headed to our hotel to check in and unload our car. 

Backus Community Center equipment check and race check in

Funny story at the hotel, a group of a dozen people from Japan were checking in ahead of us at the hotel. I heard a conversation that they were engineers from Honda that traveled to International Falls for the local cold weather auto testing facility. I have to think they were curious about the racers showing up at the hotel with bikes and sleds.

After getting settled into our hotel room, we went back to the community center for the racers' meeting. There's always information shared to help you get ready for the big challenge the next morning, and a lot of good (& some dark) humor.

At the end of the racers' meeting, there was a raffle for racers with a ton of fun items. I have to admit I was only half listening at this point because I don't have much luck with raffles ... but I won the grand prize! One Empire Wool & Canvas Company garment, I picked their Boreal Superhoodie.

We returned to our hotel for some of Lisa's homemade chicken and dumplings... YUM! I did some packing and bike prep for the morning and took a quick ride in front of the hotel to be sure everything was good to go. Then it was time to relax then try to find some sleep as my mind keep thinking of every little details I might have forgotten.

Pugsley ready for the big ride in the morning

International Falls to Gateway 36 miles - 4 hours 54 minutes

My alarm went off at 5:00 AM, but I was already awake. Lisa brought homemade overnight oats for our breakfast, a great way to fuel up for the long day ahead! At the start line, we must check in, confirming our mode (bike/foot/ski), confirm our red blinky lights are on, and our satellite tracker is on.

Out in the -20°F air, there's a good amount of nervous talking between friends, both long-time and just met friends, as we wait for the fireworks to signal the start. 

Photo credit: Ben Sunne

Once Ken released the hounds, I found a nice group to work with. After a while, I was leading this group for a couple miles. With a strong headwind, I was working hard but not getting too hot. We weren't far out of International Falls when I heard "CAR BACK" (WTAF?!?!), I looked back to see the bright lights of the snowmobile trail groomer behind us. We all pulled off at a small driveway crossing to let the groomer pass us, as we got rolling again, I got into the middle of the pack of riders and started feeling too warm now that I wasn't out in the wind. Believe it or not, even when it's -20°F, you need to focus on not overheating! 

The trail groomer - photo credit: Lisa Nelson

After nearly 10 miles on the Blue Ox Trail, we take a hard left turn onto the David Dill Arrowhead Trail. At this point, our group splintered with a few riders stopping to make some changes and adjustments, while I rode through with a handful of riders. A couple of these riders were stronger than me and pulled ahead, others fell behind, and I was solo off-and-on for many miles on the way to Gateway.

The fast miles early on the Arrowhead Trail

The trail was in great condition, the tires didn't sink into the snow at all, allowing everyone to move a good pace... for reference, 8 mph is a good pace with a fully loaded fatbike on a snowmobile trail.

Frosty face selfie

I was excited to get to Gateway before noon, more than two hours quicker than my last Arrowhead. I went inside to get water refills, and dump some trash. I was in-and-out quickly, roughly 20 minutes, ahead of my goal of 30 minutes.

Gateway to Melgeorge's 34 miles - 6 hours 56 minutes
On this leg, we passed through some active logging areas, this offered a very fast trail surface with the heavy trucks packing the snow as hard as concrete! I had one logging truck pass me on the trail, when I heard the vehicle, I pulled to the far right and stopped to allow them to pass. This is also the area when the course gets hilly, adding to the challenges. You can bike up some of the hills, others required getting off and push the bike up the hill. 

I don't think this pic does justice to how steep & long this climb is

My race hit its biggest challenge in the miles after Gateway. Only a few miles out of Gateway my gut started making the most awful and uncomfortable noises. I was getting worrying signals that things were going south. I continued to push forward, there are few other options. I was fighting 'urges' and hoping against hope that I could get Melgeorge's to use the bathroom in the cabin, but that was A LOT of miles away.

I stopped with Leah Gruhn on the trail for a minute, I shared my gut issues, she gave me some Tums to see if that might help me. I let Leah know she shouldn't wait for me, and a short while later, I ended up needing to make a trip into the woods, hoping for some relief. In the most G-rated terms, I can not recommend having the runs in the woods when it's sub-zero ... there is not one single good thing to say about this experience! The first step is to find a place with some kind of privacy, this is not strictly required, but it is a best practice. Then you need to remove the top outer layers, remove the CamelBak, then remove a couple more layer to get to your bibs before you can get the business end of things accessible. Let us simply skip ahead to redressing process, which needs to be done quickly as you are losing tons of heat in these frigid temps, the clothes you took off were all damp with your sweat and they are now stiff as a board. Once you've got everything back on, your core temp has dropped and your fingers are starting to feel numb from the cold. It's time to get back on the bike and push hard to get your internal furnace heated up and pumping warm blood to your chilled fingers. I repeated this process two more times on the way to Melgorge's ... on the bright side, I was getting practiced and more efficient with each stop.

photo credit: Trenton Raygor

As I'm dealing with this most uncomfortable issue, I'm trying to think what in the hell caused it! I thought of two things while I rode on: the water from the tap at Gateway or the caffeine in my Embark Coffee Maple. Fast forward to a week after the race, I emailed with the race director and a friend that came into Gateway after me, no other reports of gut issues from the water at Gateway. That got me to go back to the other option: caffeine. I had .5 liter Gu flask with Embark Coffee Maple. I've used this product many times over the last 4 years in the classic 3 oz pouch packages, it has never caused me an issue. The 3 oz package is 72 mg of caffeine per pouch (nearly a cup of coffee's worth), my .5 liter Gu flask holds the equivalent of 5 to 6 of the 3 oz pouches ... that's roughly 400 mg, and over 400 mg of caffeine is considered an overdose. I finished a whole .5 liter flask before Gateway, plus I had a couple coffees before the start. So that's A LOT of caffeine in a little over 5 hours, and WAY more than I have on a normal day. It seems clear to me that the caffeine could easily be the cause my 'issue'. 

3oz pouch on the left & .5 liter (17 oz) refillable flask on right 

The plan for future events: buy the Salted Maple in the 1.5 liter bulk package for these .5 liter Gu flask, and keep to the 3 oz pouches Embark Coffee Maple, making it easier to manage how much caffeine I'm getting. I always learn new things on these events!

Late in the afternoon, I was blown away to see two skiers pass me! They were skate skiing and able to climb so much faster than me pushing 80+ lbs of bike/gear up the hills. They were both packed lean and moving fast! Jump forward to Melgeorge's, I said I expected a new skier course record, but was told that both skiers dropped out after a crash before getting to the checkpoint.

FAST moving skiers

To add to my troubles, I was eating and drinking very little, I didn't trust my stomach to handle it. So as I got close to Melgeorge's, I was in a hole for both nutrition and hydration. I was ready to call my Arrowhead done at Melgeorge's, I was miserable and didn't feel it was a good plan to push on in these deep-cold conditions in a compromised state!

As I got to the cabin, I let the volunteers know my need for the bathroom, and they made sure the main floor bathroom was available for me as soon as I got my outer gear stripped down. It was nice to not deal the cold for once!

My plan was to rest for a while and see if I could recover, and happily Bill, the race medic, was in the cabin and heard my issues. He offered me an Imodium before I laid down. After an hour, with some rest and a little sleep, I got up feeling OK. My biggest priority was to see if I could drink and eat to refuel before deciding to call my race over or push forward. One of the volunteers was extra kind, giving my water bottle and CamelBak bladder a good flush before filling, just in case my issues were related to the water.

The night scene outside the Cedar cabin at Melgeorge's

While in the cabin, I drank roughly 24 oz of water, ate two grilled cheese, and had a bowl of wild rice soup. Everything went down well, and I was getting my strength back. I made the decision to push on.

Melgeorge to Embark 40 miles - 8 hours 22 minutes
I got rolling at 10:00 PM and in the first few miles out of Melgeorge's, I passed 5 unsupported racers bedded down, they ware the last racers I saw on the course. 

The frigid forest in the dark was a magical place! I found myself double and triple checking shadows and other mirages in this snow covered landscape. The half moon was lovely, but after it set, I was treated to the most amazing night sky, free from all light pollution! These miles of the course have so many hills to push the bike up, then there's the sketchy dark ride down the other side.

At some point, my hydration hose froze up. If you forget, or fail, to blow the hose clear after a drink, the water can freeze up. I spent a few miles with sessions of sucking and blowing hard into the hose; and between sessions, I'd pack the hose deeper in my layers to get additional body heat to help melt the frozen block. My backup plan was to pour water from the CamelBak into my one insulated water bottle I had on the bike, but that would take a lot of time and be messy. Thankfully, after a few sessions, I was able to get the water flowing again! 

The half moon shrouded in the clouds

There was one more "trip into the woods", and I will keep this as 'clean' as possible... I was out of TP and forgot to get more from Melgeorge's ... so the snow was my only option. Another thing that I advise everyone to avoid! This is the point where my saddle zone started getting raw. The last miles into Embark had me standing to pedal or freewheel; and a lot of walking when the trail kicked up.

About 10 miles from Embark, I saw the first sign of human life in hours, one of the volunteers on a snowmobile checking on me. It's great to know they are on the trail watching out for us racing. But it has been said many times, this is not the comfy SAG wagon you might find on many supported rides. You will be underdressed for a snowmobile ride and the ride will be rough. You can expect to get off the trail alive, but you will not enjoy that ride and there have been stories about the rough conditions racers arrive in from this ride. The point, be prepared for these conditions and ready to solve your own problems on trail, snowmobile rescue is the last resort! 

The rescue snowmobile - photo credit: Lisa Nelson

As I got close to Embark, I was considering dropping out a second time. My plan was to use the outhouse at the checkpoint, using what I could find (hand wipes, TP, ...) to clean up my raw undercarriage, then apply a lot of Chamois Butt'r and see if that would allow enough relief to ride the final 23 miles.

Embark to Fortune Bay 23 miles - 3 hours 48 minutes

I rolled into Embark before the first light of morning, around 6:20 AM. As I arrived, I talking with Brie from Embark, she had a pack of baby wipes I could use to help with my issues. It was very nice to have the Embark checkpoint to myself, not another racer to be seen. This allowed me time in the 'heated' tent ... I'd say the wood stove had the tent up to 45°F ... I pealed off many of my outer layers and had them on a rack next to the stove, along with the pack of nearly frozen baby wipes. I think I fell asleep in a chair in the tent for 20-30 minutes while wait for the wipes to thaw out.

Priority parking when you're the only racer at Embark

At the same time, Lisa was on her own adventure trying to find the middle-of-nowhere Embark checkpoint. I was happy she was making her way to find me, because I was not sure I could continue. Note for anybody looking for the Embark checkpoint: Google Maps will get you lost!

After the chills woke me from my nap, I found the wipes were no longer frozen, so I walked up to the porta-potty to see if I could get some relief.

Lisa found the checkpoint just as I was ready to take a short ride to test if I could find any comfort on the bike. I went 100 yards up the trail and back, and decided I could push on to the finish. 

The view from the last major climb on the trail

There was a road crossing just 5-6 miles up the trail from Embark, and Lisa said she'd drive to there to give me the option to drop the race there if things weren't working out. But the icy roads took Lisa into the ditch before she got to the trail crossing. Thankfully, she was completely fine, but needed a tow to get out of the ditch, the locals checked in and helped out. I was feeling good enough to figure out riding the last 15-20 miles, while Lisa waited on a rescue from the tow truck.

There's no easy way outta that - photo credit: Lisa Nelson

On those last few miles to the finish, I had some music going in my Shokz to both motivate myself and keep the sleepies from sneaking up on me. With my very eclectic mix on shuffle, Willie Nelson's cover of Rainbow Connection started just before I got the resort and there were some frozen tears on my checks, both the emotions of our communities' struggles, my personal struggles on this challenge, and just loving the song's message ... it just hit me in all the feels.

Lovely sunrise on Tuesday morning

I was able to gently settle onto the saddle for a few minutes at a time and avoid spending all of the final miles standing on the pedals. But in the last few miles, I couldn't comfortably sit down, there were cries of "WHAT THE ACTUAL F*CK!" when I'd try to sit on the saddle. Just to give my raw parts a break, I found it easier to walk the smallest climbs on the way into the finish ... except that last ramp to the finish line, my pride had me mash up that little climb! 

I was greeted at the finish by Lisa and a few volunteers. We got some pictures, and I got a "Welcome to the GCN Show" clip to submit. Inside the resort, we did a quick equipment check, the volunteer only really wanted to be sure I still had hand warmers; I had one pack in my frame bag, two packs in my CamelBak, another in my sleeping bag, and maybe a couple more squirreled away ... I had that requirement covered. Then we went to the hospitality suit, it was quiet because the racers that finished before me were hours ahead, and there wouldn't be another finisher for an hour or two.

Finish line pic! photo credit: Lisa Nelson

I was slower getting to the finish than I hoped, and we wanted to get home early enough to pick up the dogs on Tuesday afternoon, so we made a quick turn around. I was able to shower and I couldn't help crying out with the pain as the shower water ran over my raw undercarriage. And as soon as I was dressed, we packed all our stuff into the car to head home. I struggled getting into the car seat and getting comfortable ... it was a serious pain in the ass!

There was a little excitement to the drive home, when the car went into the ditch, snow got packed into the rims and made the wheels unbalanced (the car bounced). We used the ice scraper to get much of the snow out and smooth out the ride.

Race Stats

I ranked 22nd of 41 bike finishers (plus 20 DNF); with an official time 28:30:00. 

From the Arrowhead 135 Facebook post:

141 racers started, 75 finished:
41 bike
32 run
1 kicksled
1 ski

Link to 2026 results page

The racers' hospitality room with my trophy, new finishers cap, and the FINISHER banner! 

I have to say, it was great race conditions, everything I've planned for and dreamed about! I was out in the deep cold for nearly 24 hours. There are few weather stations on the trail, so accurate temperatures are hard to come by ... but I know our hotel showed -20°F when we left for the start line, and it was -8°F at the finish line. Based on some nearby weather stations, I'd estimate we might have gotten up to 5°F on Monday afternoon. 

I'm pleased to report that I didn't crash once! In 2024, there was no possible way to count the number of times I found my self making an unplanned snow angel.

I only lost one small item of clothing this year, my hack red "nose buff" ... I left Melgeorge's without it and that didn't cause me any issues. This is quite literal a hack, I took a full size buff and cut off roughly 6 inches, doubled-up across my nose to protect the skin from the deep cold. 

Arrowhead Recovery

All the gut issues, and some less than ideal clean-up options, left me with a very raw saddle zone. Happily, one week after the race, I'm back on the saddle with basically no pain

In 2024, I suffered a pinched nerve that caused numbness in my fingers and hand. Going into the 2026 Arrowhead, I made some adjustments, mostly focused on how I placed my hands when pushing the bike, keeping my elbows in close to my body and minimize time with the arms fully extended. This helped a lot, the numbness is less this year and nearly gone one week after the race. If I bring my bike back to the Arrowhead 135, I'm going to schedule a meeting with Paulie at GO PHYSIO to see if we can adjust my flat-bar bike fit to help my shoulder.

Additionally, recovering from a 24+ hours effort is a long process for the body, and far from a linear progression. I go from have zero energy for a day, to bouncing off the walls the next day. It's critical to listen to your body and give yourself time to rest, it can take up to 6 weeks to fully recover. In the week since finishing, I've been on my bike a couple times outdoors and a couple rides on the indoor trainer. I feel good, but never push my body too hard. I've been adding a hour of sleep every night since the race, and I feel like I could sleep longer too. I'm always hungry! There is an emotion component to this recovery time too. I'm not feeling it with this race, but in the past I've experienced post race blues after an ultra event. So it's important to look after your whole self, mind and body, after an event like the Arrowhead. 

THANK YOU!!

Lisa Nelson I say it on repeat, and I'll keep saying it, I couldn't do these crazy adventures without Lisa's loving support. She does so much to help me, even with the Arrowhead, where she can't directly support me on course, she's doing all the little things that allow me to focus on my effort. It cannot be understated that Lisa really does not like the Arctic conditions, so spending a few days in sub-zero conditions for my Arrowhead is really above and beyond!

That is Lisa under all that winter gear

Volunteers The volunteers on the Arrowhead 135 are outstanding in every possible way. I especially needed all their help at Melgeorge's and Embark to allow me to continue my race. Plus the snowmobile volunteers are so dedicated, out in the sub-zero weather, day and night, looking out for us racers. 

Race Medic Bill Brandt was a lifesaver with the Imodium, plus he shares so much advice with racers before the race, at the racers' meeting, and at the checkpoints. 

Ken & Jackie for their labor of love, allowing all of us to race this demanding, challenging, and rewarding event.

Bike:

2015 Surly Pugsley the original fatbike! This bike is mostly stock, here are my modifications: Ergon grips, Brooks C-15 Carved saddle, and Salsa Guide carbon seatpost.

45NRTH Dillinger 5 & 4 Tires I've got a Moonlander fork on my Pugsley so it can fit the 5" tire on the front and the 4" is the widest I can fit on the rear. I used the Wolftooth tire pressure calculator, and it suggested 6.7 psi rear and 4.9 psi front. I went with a little more for the start line, it's easier to dump pressure than add. But with the firm snow conditions, I never felt the need to let air out. 
45NRTH Cobrafist Pogies a raffle prize from the 2023 Tuscobia! And my pogies hack: the foam plugs that came with these pogies don't fit my set up, so I rolled up a couple old wool socks to block air from flowing in the pogies from the handlebars. Worked a treat, keeping my hands warm and comfy!

Hack pogie plug

Bike System Weight 

Prior to a final training ride, I weigh myself and bike, totaling 257 lbs; that's 165 of me and 92 lbs of bike and gear. This weight includes the bike, gear, clothing, and nearly 4 liters of hydration. Plus, I added another couple pounds of food on the bike at the start line.

Nutrition/Hydration (the best laid plans ... )

• Embark Maple Energy, both Coffee and Salts
• Skratch gels
• Skratch drink mix
• Peanut M&Ms
• Grill cheeses and wild rice soup at Melgeorge's 
• Jar of Peanut butter (3,000+ calories) *

Because of the gut issues, I ate very little on the trail. Frankly, I'm not totally sure how I powered the bike for that many miles on so few calories. I was 3 lbs lighter when I got on the scale Wednesday morning, and that's after I ate 3/4 of a pizza Tuesday night!

Tech:

• Garmin inReach Mini | Satellite Tracker/Communicator*
• Garmin Edge 1040 Solar | bike computer
• Garmin vívoactive 6 | smartwatch
• Shokz | bone conductive headphones
• NiteRider Lunina 750 & 950 | bike headlighs*
• Planet Bike Superflash Turbo (x3) | red blinky lights*
• Black Diamond headlamp

The inReach was clipped to my CamelBak shoulder strap, keeping it in my layers to protect the battery. I had the 1040 in my pants pocket, also keeping it warmer. I found the vívoactive 6 very helpful, it allowed me to get mile split updates through my Shokz. But the vívoactive 6 battery couldn't last all race, it died shortly after Melgeorge's. I really wish the 1040 offered this function! [update: I found that the Edge 1040 has a similar option, not as good as the vivoactive 6, but a good option for a future Arrowhead]

Bags:

• Revelate Handle Bar Harness
• Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Compression Sack (for the sleep system in the handle bar harness)
• Revelate TANGLE® FRAME BAG
• Revelate SPINELOCK™ 16L
• Revelate GAS TANK
• Ortleib Fork-Pack
• Toolbox, with my multi-tool, patch kits, and other field repair stuff, in the container in the seat tube bottle rack - it's so old and I have no idea what it's called
• CamelBak Lobo 100 oz* hydration pack with Crux Thermal Control Kit
• CamelBak Stainless Steel VSS Insulated Water Bottle 22 oz  this was a great bottle, it did not freeze up, even the nozzle was good in these conditions. I'd always start with drinking from this bottle first when leaving a checkpoint and would finish it in about an hour. I'm sure it'd freeze up after a couple hours in these temps, but it was a great way to extend my CamelBack hydration. And that's a Gupgum Gear bottle cage coozie to add a little more insulation. 
  

Clothing:

• Podiumwear Arrowhead jacket 
• Podiumwear lightweight vest
• Wool base layer
• Smartwool midlayer (x3)
• 45NRTH Naughtvind bib knickers
• 45NRTH Naughtvind shell pants
• Smartwool expedition weight socks 
• 45NRTH Wølfgar boots
• 45NRTH Toasterfork balaclava 
• Smartwool beanie 
• DAMn buff
• Old winter bandana 
• 45NRTH Nokken gloves
• Old snowboard helmet
• Old Anon goggles (the Arrowhead was their last trip)
• Patagonia puffy jacket (never left my stuff sack)
• Old Bonfire snowboard jacket for an emergency cover (never left my stuff sack)
• Lost of extra layers, gloves, hats, etc in my bags - but ended up staying in the same gear the whole race

Sleep System:

• Black Diamond Bipod Bivy *
• NEMO Sonic -20 Sleeping Bag *
• NEMO Switchback Sleeping Pad 

My sleep system, testing it in Lisa's tomato garden box

Miscellaneous:

• Spare tubes 
• PocketRocket 2 stove *
• GSI Outdoors Isobutane Fuel Canister * (1x 110g in my CamelBak & 1x 230g in a fork bag)
• Windproof matches *
• 1 Pint cup/pot *
• Whistle on a string *
• Reflective safety sash *

Bring to the Next Race: 

• Imodium and Tums! 

Required gear list racers must have the following on them at all times during the race:

• -20°F degrees sleeping bag or colder rating
• Insulated sleeping pad
• Bivy sack or tent
• Firestarter (matches or lighter)
• Stove
• 8 fl. oz. fuel at ALL times (either gas, alcohol or 2 canisters of propane/butane 100 g. each or 12 Esbit tablets)
• Pot (min. volume is 1 pint)
• 2-qt (64 fl. oz.) or just under 2 litres, insulated water container
• Headlamp or flashlight
• Flashing red LED lights, both on front and back of sled or bike (or on backpack if skier).
• Everyone have at least 10 square inches of reflective material on front and back of the person for this race.
• Two lights total are required, one on the front of the bike, sled or racer (runner or skier with backpack), one on the back of the bike, sled or racer (runner or skier with backpack). Each light must have a minimum of three flashing red LEDS.
• Finish with one pack of hand warmers
• Whistle on string around neck to call for help, because your mouth is too numb to yell.
• 1-day food ALL times (3000 calories)

Photo Credit: Ben Sunne