> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://keithandlindsey.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # 2025 Tour Divide: Racing (Day 4) - Birch Creek Recreation Area, Montana ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ to Big Fork, Montana ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ - URL: https://keithandlindsey.com/2025-tour-divide-racing-day-4-birch-creek-recreation-area-montana-to-big-fork-montana/ - Published: 2026-05-28T00:00:47.000Z - Updated: 2026-05-28T00:00:47.000Z - Description: Day 4 was a day of firsts. ๐ŸŽ‰ After three nights of camping, I would finally sleep in a real bed, take my first shower in four full days, and scrub four days of trail grime out of my kit. - Author: Keith Huster - Tags: Biking, Montana **Day 4 was a day of firsts.** ๐ŸŽ‰ After three nights of camping, I would finally sleep in a real bed, take my first shower in four full days, and scrub four days of trail grime out of my kit. ๐Ÿ› But first... I had to climb the beautiful Red Meadow Pass, survive a swarm of hungry mosquitoes ๐ŸฆŸ, and convince my Wahoo to start mapping me again. Let's get into it! ๐Ÿ“ โ€ข [Post-Series Index](https://keithandlindsey.com/2025-tour-divide-post-series-index/) โ€ข ****Next Post**: Racing (Day 5) - Big Fork, Montana ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ to Seeley Lake, Montana ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ \[coming soon\] โ€ข ****Previous Post**: [Racing (Day 3) - Butts Cabin, British Columbia ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฆ to Birch Creek Recreation Area, Montana ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ](https://keithandlindsey.com/2025-tour-divide-racing-day-3-butts-cabin-british-columbia-to-birch-creek-recreation-area-montana/) ## Check out the Day 4 YouTube Video ๐Ÿ“ผ ๐Ÿ“บ 2025 Tour Divide - Day 4 / Birch Creek Recreation Area to Timbers Motel ## Slow start to the morning ๐ŸŒ ๐ŸŒ… I woke up at 4:00 AM... and then proceeded to move at a snail's pace. ๐ŸŒ I didn't actually start pedaling until 5:43 AM! In my defense, the time wasn't wasted. I used it to eat a solid breakfast, take care of some morning bike maintenance, and handle a little personal self-care before another long day in the saddle. ![Keith is leaving the Birch Creek Recreation Area in the early morning](https://keithandlindsey.com/content/images/2026/05/leaving-birch-creek.webp) Keith is leaving the [Birch Creek Recreation Area](https://www.bivy.com/adventures/us/montana/birch-creek-recreation-area--6334459101052928?ref=keithandlindsey.com) in the early morning ## Math is hard... again! ๐Ÿง  ๐Ÿ˜• If you read my [Day 3 post](https://keithandlindsey.com/2025-tour-divide-racing-day-3-butts-cabin-british-columbia-to-birch-creek-recreation-area-montana/), you know that I can't seem to do simple trail math. Well... it happened again! ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™‚๏ธ This time, I'd convinced myself that the town of Columbia Falls was about 130 miles (209 kilometers) away. Spoiler: it was not. ๐Ÿ˜ด I think the lack of quality sleep was catching up with me. Three nights of cold, broken sleep on the ground will scramble your brain. Math I'd done hundreds of times in training was suddenly a real struggle out on the route! Ad by Google AdSense ## Early morning, chunky climb ๐Ÿชจ ๐Ÿ†™ The day kicked off with a somewhat steep, chunky climb. ๐Ÿ†™ Normally, loose, chunky terrain is just a grind... but on this morning, it actually kept things interesting and gave me something to focus on. And the views? They just kept getting better the higher I climbed. ![](https://keithandlindsey.com/content/images/2026/05/IMG_3184.webp) ![](https://keithandlindsey.com/content/images/2026/05/IMG_3186.webp) ![](https://keithandlindsey.com/content/images/2026/05/IMG_3189.webp) Gallery of the first gravel climb of the day with beautiful views all the way up I felt really good on this one. I kept eating and hydrating the whole way up, and that steady fueling paid off. I crested the top feeling strong instead of cooked. ๐Ÿ’ช ## Fast and cold descent ๐Ÿš€ ๐Ÿฅถ The descent on the other side was fast and COLD! ๐Ÿฅถ The views were incredible, and the chunky surface kept me on my toes the entire way down. My leg warmers were a lifesaver here... they made a huge difference against the biting morning air. ![](https://keithandlindsey.com/content/images/2026/05/IMG_3191.webp) ![](https://keithandlindsey.com/content/images/2026/05/IMG_3193.webp) ![](https://keithandlindsey.com/content/images/2026/05/passing-rider.webp) ![](https://keithandlindsey.com/content/images/2026/05/descending-1-1.webp) Gallery of starting the cold descent after the first climb The one odd moment? Another racer stopped right in front of me at an inopportune time, killing all of my momentum. ๐Ÿ˜’ I moved to pass him... and right as I did, he started rolling again, blocking me from getting by. We did that little dance for a bit โ€” a strange encounter! There was also a steep edge along the side of the descent, so I had to stay focused. But between the chunky line and the nonstop views, what a way to wake up! It's even better on video, so be sure to check that out. ## Hard-pack road through the forest ๐ŸŒฒ๐Ÿ˜„ After the descent, the route mellowed out onto a smooth, hard-pack road winding through the forest. ๐ŸŒฒ What a welcome change of pace! I tucked into my aero bars and just cruised. ๐Ÿšดโ€โ™‚๏ธ ![Keith is relaxing in his aero bars as he prepares for the next big climb of the day](https://keithandlindsey.com/content/images/2026/05/aero-bars.webp) Keith is relaxing in his aero bars as he prepares for the next big climb of the day I knew another climb was coming, so I used this easy stretch to eat lots of food and bank some calories. Fuel up now so I won't bonk later! ๐Ÿ˜… ## Never-ending chunky roadway ๐Ÿชจ ๐Ÿšดโ€โ™‚๏ธ Next up was a huge, wide, dead-straight graded roadway that seemed to go on forever. The catch? It was super chunky, covered in large, loose rocks the whole way. ๐Ÿชจ ![A recently graded, seemingly never-ending, gravel roadway](https://keithandlindsey.com/content/images/2026/05/IMG_3194.webp) A recently graded, seemingly never-ending, gravel roadway This was a moment where I was so glad to be on my full-suspension bike. It just soaked up the chunder and made the whole section a breeze... I can only imagine how brutal this stretch would have been on a fully rigid setup. ๐Ÿ˜ฌ Partway through, I pulled over for a roadside break and topped off my water at a creek. The temperature was finally starting to warm up, which felt amazing after such a cold morning. Ad by Google AdSense ## Climbing Red Meadow Pass to Red Meadow Lake โ›ฐ๏ธ๐Ÿ›ถ [Red Meadow Pass](https://bikepacking.com/routes/red-meadow-pass/?ref=keithandlindsey.com) was the big climb of the day... a 5+ mile (8+ kilometer) effort up to [Red Meadow Lake](https://www.fs.usda.gov/r01/flathead/recreation/red-meadow-lake-campground?ref=keithandlindsey.com). The funny thing about this climb is how the elevation is stacked. The first few miles are actually super chill and pleasant. Then that final mile (1.6 kilometers) ramps up steep and hot, cramming in most of the climbing all at once. ๐Ÿฅต ๐Ÿ’ก I climbed most of that steep section down in my aero bars... a trick I picked up from [Taro Narahashi](https://trackleaders.com/tourdivide25i.php?name=Taro%5FNarahashi&ref=keithandlindsey.com). Getting low and forward keeps your weight over the front wheel and opens up your breathing on a nasty grind like this. It works shockingly well. Thanks, Taro! ![](https://keithandlindsey.com/content/images/2026/05/IMG_3197-1.webp) ![](https://keithandlindsey.com/content/images/2026/05/IMG_3198.webp) ![](https://keithandlindsey.com/content/images/2026/05/IMG_3201.webp) ![](https://keithandlindsey.com/content/images/2026/05/IMG_3204.webp) Gallery of the climb up [Red Meadow Pass](https://bikepacking.com/routes/red-meadow-pass/?ref=keithandlindsey.com) At the top, I was rewarded with the gorgeous [Red Meadow Lake](https://www.fs.usda.gov/r01/flathead/recreation/red-meadow-lake-campground?ref=keithandlindsey.com). ๐Ÿ›ถ The catch? The mosquitoes were relentless up there. ๐ŸฆŸ As stunning as that lake was, I didn't hang around long before swatting my way back onto the bike. โ„๏ธ Get this... just a week before I rolled through, there was still a ton of snow up by the lake. I lucked into some seriously friendly conditions! ![](https://keithandlindsey.com/content/images/2026/05/IMG_3205.webp) ![](https://keithandlindsey.com/content/images/2026/05/IMG_3207.webp) ![](https://keithandlindsey.com/content/images/2026/05/IMG_3210.webp) Gallery of [Red Meadow Lake](https://www.fs.usda.gov/r01/flathead/recreation/red-meadow-lake-campground?ref=keithandlindsey.com) at the summit of [Red Meadow Pass](https://bikepacking.com/routes/red-meadow-pass/?ref=keithandlindsey.com) ## Fun descent into Whitefish, MT ๐Ÿš€ ๐Ÿ›ฅ๏ธ The descent into [Whitefish](https://explorewhitefish.com/?ref=keithandlindsey.com) was fast, flowy, and a blast! ๐Ÿš€ As I dropped down, Whitefish Lake came into view and... wow. That lake is HUGE! ๐Ÿ›ฅ๏ธ It actually reminded me a lot of [Lake Norris](https://www.visitknoxville.com/listing/norris-lake/1033/?ref=keithandlindsey.com), where Lindsey and I have vacationed with her family in Tennessee. ![](https://keithandlindsey.com/content/images/2026/05/IMG_3213.webp) ![](https://keithandlindsey.com/content/images/2026/05/IMG_3214.webp) ![](https://keithandlindsey.com/content/images/2026/05/IMG_3215.webp) ![](https://keithandlindsey.com/content/images/2026/05/IMG_3218.webp) ![](https://keithandlindsey.com/content/images/2026/05/IMG_3219.webp) Gallery of the descent into Whitefish and a small portion of my obverabundant resupply Whitefish meant a major resupply, and... yep, I did it again. I bought and ate way too much food, then had to give some away and toss some before rolling out. ๐Ÿคฆ Oops! I was also still going back and forth on whether to finally ditch my cold-soaking kit, a debate that had been brewing for days. ๐Ÿจ While I was in Whitefish, I booked my first hotel room of the race, over at the [Timbers Motel](https://www.timbersmotel.com/?ref=keithandlindsey.com) in Big Fork, MT... still about 45 miles (72 kilometers) down the road. Knowing that bed was waiting for me gave me a real target to chase! ## Passing through Columbia Falls, MT ๐Ÿšดโ€โ™‚๏ธ โฉ By this point in the race, I had to admit an uncomfortable truth... I am not good at resupplying. ๐Ÿ˜… Other racers dart in and out of stores in minutes, while I shop like I'm stocking up for the entire week! This is definitely something I need to work on. ![Passing through Columbia Falls, MT on my way to Big Fork, MT](https://keithandlindsey.com/content/images/2026/05/columbia-falls.webp) Passing through Columbia Falls, MT on my way to Big Fork, MT Luckily, I was still stuffed from my Whitefish feast, so I rolled straight through Columbia Falls without stopping. โฉ It had a nice little small-town vibe that I appreciated even just passing through. From here to Big Fork, the route was all pavement, which made for smooth, easy riding. ## My Wahoo stopped mapping! ๐Ÿšซ ๐Ÿ—บ๏ธ Then came a little scare... my [Wahoo Elemnt Roam](https://amzn.to/4wB4qAS?ref=keithandlindsey.com) suddenly lost the route and stopped mapping me entirely. ๐Ÿšซ To this day, I have no idea why it happened! To fix it, I had to stop, reload the current route section, and start riding in the correct direction again before it would finally pick the route back up. Thankfully, I caught the problem quickly. How do I know? Because right after I got it working again, it pinged me about a turn I'd just missed. ๐Ÿ—บ๏ธ A good reminder that, even with fancy tech, you can't fully switch your brain off out there! ## Getting my first hotel room in Big Fork, MT ๐Ÿจ ๐Ÿ› Big Fork sits about 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) off the official route, reached via the [Swan River Nature Trail](https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/montana/swan-river-trail?ref=keithandlindsey.com)... a beautiful bike path that follows the river past a series of waterfalls. ๐Ÿ˜ Totally worth the detour, and not just for the bed. Pushing all the way to Big Fork knocked out a long, flat section before the next major climb... which set me up to tackle that climb in the cool of the early morning. ๐ŸŒ… ๐Ÿคฃ Funny story... there's a bike shop right near the motel, and when my Mom and Dad were watching my dot on the tracking site, they were convinced I was hanging out at the bike shop. They had to zoom way in to figure out I was actually at the hotel next door. ![](https://keithandlindsey.com/content/images/2026/05/IMG_3221.webp) ![](https://keithandlindsey.com/content/images/2026/05/IMG_3223.webp) ![](https://keithandlindsey.com/content/images/2026/05/IMG_3225.webp) ![](https://keithandlindsey.com/content/images/2026/05/big-fork-path.webp) ![](https://keithandlindsey.com/content/images/2026/05/timbers-motel.webp) ![](https://keithandlindsey.com/content/images/2026/05/IMG_3231.webp) Gallery of my ride to the Timbers Motel in Big Fork, MT The [Timbers Motel](https://www.timbersmotel.com/?ref=keithandlindsey.com) turned out to be perfect for bikepacking. ๐Ÿ›๏ธ The rooms are huge, with tons of storage and plenty of room to hang up wet clothes to dry, and there's food close by if you need it. I'd highly recommend it to any racer coming through! ![All cleaned up and ready to start the part of the route! ๐Ÿ›](https://keithandlindsey.com/content/images/2026/05/IMG_3237-1.webp) All cleaned up and ready to start the part of the route! ๐Ÿ› And best of all... my first shower in four full days of racing! ๐Ÿšฟ I felt like a brand new person. I then spent a couple of hours washing my clothes in the sink before completely crashing out, and I slept like a ROCK. ๐Ÿชจ The only downside? That climb up to the hotel was absolutely brutal at the end of a long day. ๐Ÿ˜ฎโ€๐Ÿ’จ Ad by Google AdSense ## Day 4 ride stats ๐Ÿงพ ๐Ÿ“ˆ ๐Ÿšดโ€โ™‚๏ธ Keep up to date with all of my cycling adventures, [follow me on Strava](https://www.strava.com/athletes/6531314?ref=keithandlindsey.com)! My stats for the day: - **Distance**: 118.79 miles (191.2 kilometers) - **Elevation Gain**: 6,043 feet (1,842 meters) - **Moving Time**: 10 hours, 13 minutes, and 47 seconds - **Calories Burned**: 4,546 calories ![Strava Ride Log - 2025 Tour Divide (Day 4)](https://keithandlindsey.com/content/images/2026/04/Strava-Ride-Log-3.webp) [Strava Ride Log - 2025 Tour Divide (Day 4)](https://www.strava.com/activities/14838518697?ref=keithandlindsey.com) ## Coming up next ๐Ÿšต โžก๏ธ In the next post, I leave the comforts of Big Fork behind and make my way through the Swan Valley toward Seeley Lake, Montana. ๐Ÿšต โžก๏ธ Be sure to [subscribe to our blog](https://keithandlindsey.com/#/portal/signup) so you don't miss out. ๐Ÿ“ โ€ข [Post-Series Index](https://keithandlindsey.com/2025-tour-divide-post-series-index/) โ€ข ****Next Post**: Racing (Day 5) - Big Fork, Montana ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ to Seeley Lake, Montana ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ \[coming soon\] โ€ข ****Previous Post**: [Racing (Day 3) - Butts Cabin, British Columbia ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฆ to Birch Creek Recreation Area, Montana ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ](https://keithandlindsey.com/2025-tour-divide-racing-day-3-butts-cabin-british-columbia-to-birch-creek-recreation-area-montana/) **What was your favorite part of Day 4? Have you ever stayed at a hotel that was just perfect for bikepacking? Let us know in the comments below. ๐Ÿ‘‡ ๐Ÿ’ฌ**