2025 Tour Divide: Racing (Day 6) - Seeley Lake, Montana 🇺🇸 to the Llama Ranch, Montana 🇺🇸

Day 6 was the day I finally felt like I was racing. After a rough, sleepless start, I climbed strong over Huckleberry Pass, got humbled by the brutal Stemple Pass, and capped it all off with one of the most magical evenings of the entire route at The Llama Ranch. 🦙 Oh, and I met a famous dogpacking duo. 🐶 Let's get into it!

Check out the Day 6 YouTube Video 📼 📺

Starting the day with very little sleep 😩 🛌

I rolled out at 6:24 AM, but I was running on fumes. 😩 My campsite behind The Ice Cream Place had been loud all night, with an overhead light blazing and an electric fence ticking away right next to my tent. I barely slept, and it made for a rough start to the day.

To make things worse, the first order of business was climbing back up to the trail I'd descended into town the night before. As I ground my way up, I used the time to map out my plan for the day. The natural place to stop would be Lincoln, MT... but if I could push past it, I'd be able to spend the night at the legendary Llama Ranch. That settled it: Lincoln would just be a lunch stop, and the Llama Ranch became my goal for the day.

Starting to notice some saddle sores! 🩹 🚲

This was a new one for me. I don't typically deal with saddle sores, since a little Body Glide normally does the trick. But this isn't a normal event, and I think I just wasn't keeping my undercarriage clean enough throughout these long, sweaty days. 🩹

The good news? The rest of my body was feeling surprisingly good, all things considered.

Cottonwood Lakes mirror reflection ⛰️🪞

A little later, I came across the Cottonwood Lakes, and wow... what a sight. 🪞 The water was an eerie shade of green, but also incredibly clear. I could see all the way to the bottom! It was so calm and still that it formed a perfect mirror reflection of the mountains above. Moments like this are exactly why I signed up for this race. 🤩

The historic town of Ovando, MT 🍨 🎣

Ovando is one of the most famous, historic stops on the entire Tour Divide route, and it did not disappoint. This is the kind of town where you can camp in the old jail, a teepee, or even a covered wagon! 🤣

I stopped at the Blackfoot Commercial Company for some ice cream and a snack resupply, and took care of a bit of bike maintenance while I was there. What a cool, old-school general store.

I didn't have time to grab breakfast at the Stray Bullet, but I heard their food is delicious. Reaching famous landmarks like Ovando really makes you feel like you're making real progress.

Climbing Huckleberry Pass 🚵 😄

There was a lot of washboard road leading up to the pass, but the climb itself was a joy. At one point, a driver came to a complete stop as I rode by, just so he wouldn't kick up a cloud of rocks and dust in my face. It was a true show of respect toward cyclists, and it meant a lot. 😄 Someone had also set out water bottles you could purchase along the way... another really nice treat. The valley views were incredible for almost the entire climb.

Here's the thing, though: I passed half a dozen racers on this climb. For the first time in the whole race, I actually felt like I was COMPETING. I have never felt so strong going up a mountain pass! It was so cool to look back down and see the winding road below me.

Of course, that left me with one nagging question... did I pace myself well, or did I just overdo it and set myself up to blow up on the next pass? 🤔

Descending Huckleberry Pass 📉 〰️

The descent was fast and chunky. 〰️ I spent most of it playing a big game of "follow the line," cut in by the racers ahead of me, watching both the trail and my bike computer. There were smooth sections with incredible mountain views, weaving through sparse, beautiful pine forests.

I did hit one big rock hard enough that I was sure I'd damaged my front wheel. 😬 Thankfully, there was no damage, but it was a good reminder to stay sharp and pay attention. At a creek bed near the bottom, I was so thirsty that I just chugged a full 2 liters of water in one go. This whole area was stunning, with big open meadows and plenty of trees. I caught up with another racer right around here, too.

Lunch break in Lincoln, MT 🥪 🍫

I rolled into Lincoln on the trail running alongside the main road. Along the way, a northbound tourer wished me a good race, and I met Chris Ellison, whom I followed to the grocery store in town. On my way through town, I passed a business with a sign out front that read "currently experiencing life at 30 WTF's per hour." That about summed up the vibe! 🤣

The store had limited selections, but honestly, it was just the right amount of options for a hungry racer. Sometimes the bigger grocery stores have TOO many choices, and I waste way too much time deciding what to buy. I'm also starting to realize that sugary snacks are really the way to go for most of my daily fuel... all you can carry, all you can eat!

I ate my main meal right there at the grocery store, then hit the gas station for a pile of snacks. Major resupply! Let's just say you could really see how full my gut was when I rolled out of town. 🤣

Climbing Stemple Pass... this is a huge one! 🥵 😨

And here it was... the answer to my Huckleberry Pass question. Stemple Pass was a beast. 😨 The road climb toward it was brutally hot, and I once again ate and drank way too much before starting. Distance-wise, the first half is actually pretty easy, but nearly all of the elevation gain is crammed into the end.

The steep section is just plain crazy steep for a road. I had to hike-a-bike a big portion of it. At one point, a fire support helicopter flew overhead. As I climbed, the temps finally started to come down, and I covered my whole body in creek water to cool off... but I still had that last steep portion staring me down.

The heat actually started to make me a little light-headed during the climb. 🥵 I pushed through the final 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers), which were technically rideable, but just a touch too steep for my tired legs. Thankfully, that very last section was rideable, and I made it over. If you want to see just how steep this thing really is, the video does it way more justice than I can in words.

Descending toward The Llama Ranch 🚀 🚵

The top of the descent was so steep and chunky that I actually dropped my dropper post to get through it! 🚀 I was thrilled to realize I'd be arriving at the Llama Ranch during daylight hours. It meant cutting my 100-mile (161-kilometer) daily goal a little short, but it was 100% worth it.

The valley view on the way down was incredible... easily one of my favorite spots of the entire route. 😍 I dropped in during golden hour, passed horses standing along the road, and even hit one more short-but-super-steep section through the trees. Seriously, way too steep for a road!

A magical evening at The Llama Ranch 🦙 🐶

I don't know how to describe the Llama Ranch other than magical. The owners are some of the most amazing people you'll ever meet.

Since I hadn't called ahead to reserve a cabin, I set up my tent near the red barn, then spent some time on the porch with Barb and several other racers. They keep a mini fridge stocked with drinks and sandwiches, and it was just so peaceful and relaxing.

John and Mira were already at the ranch when I arrived. If you don't know them, they're a famous "dogpacking" duo, the first-ever human-and-dog team to finish the Tour Divide. Mira had been having a tough go of it out on the route, so the two of them had turned back to The Llama Ranch to let her rest and begin recuperating.

Eventually, I made my way over to the outdoor fireplace to eat my dinner... and I didn't eat alone. Mira came right over and was my best friend the entire time. It was truly a magical evening.

The Aussie I'd met earlier, Jonno, was bunking in the red barn that night, too. And the alpacas? They were endlessly entertaining... they even played their own little game of king of the mountain. 🦙

It felt SO good to stop a little early and give my body some real rest and recovery. I slept like a champ.

Day 6 ride stats 🧾 📈

My stats for the day:

• Distance: 89.19 miles (143.5 kilometers)
• Elevation Gain: 6,440 feet (1,963 meters)
• Moving Time: 8 hours, 45 minutes, and 20 seconds
• Calories Burned: 3,717 calories

Coming up next 🚵 ➡️

In the next post, I leave the kindness of the Llama Ranch behind and take on the crazy Lava Mountain Pass, where I get caught in a wild hail and lightning storm, on my way toward Basin, Montana. 🚵 ➡️ Be sure to subscribe to our blog so you don't miss out.

Have you ever experienced "trail magic" or the kindness of strangers on an adventure? And be honest... could you eat as many sugary snacks as I do? Let us know in the comments below. 👇 💬