By SUZANNE DOWNING
March 9, 2026 – One of Alaska’s most enduring spring traditions is underway again, as the tripod for the 2026 Nenana Ice Classic was raised onto the frozen Tanana River over the weekend.
Volunteers gathered in Nenana on Sunday to hoist the contest’s 26-foot wooden tripod onto the river ice, marking the official start of the guessing game that has amused Alaskans for more than a century. The tripod, connected to a clock on shore by a cable, will remain in place until the ice breaks up and the shifting river stops the clock, determining the winning time.
The event was part of Tripod Days, a small community celebration held March 7–8 at the Nenana Civic Center. Local residents and visitors gathered for food, socializing, and the traditional volunteer effort of hauling the heavy tripod into position with ropes.
Tickets for the contest went on sale Feb. 1 and will remain available until April 5 at outlets around Alaska. Participants purchase tickets and guess the exact date and time the ice will move the tripod and stop the clock. The person, or people, who choose the correct time split the jackpot.
The Tanana River froze in November. Weekly ice thickness measurements started this month, and a live camera overlooking the tripod allows anyone to watch the river in real time on the contest’s website.
Breakup on the Tanana River typically occurs between mid-April and late May, with a historical range of April 14 to May 20. Most years, the winning moment falls in late April or early May as warmer temperatures weaken the ice and spring runoff begins to move the river.
Last year’s breakup occurred April 27 at 3:56 pm Alaska time. The 2025 jackpot reached $211,267 and was split among 10 winners.
The Nenana Ice Classic began in 1917 as a friendly wager among railroad workers who wanted to guess when the river ice would break. Over the decades, it has become one of Alaska’s best-known traditions, drawing guesses from across the state and beyond while also serving as an informal marker of the transition from winter to spring.
