Road Trippin' to Glacier National Park with Dave and Matt Vans and Journal of Lost Time
Road Trippin' to Glacier National Park with Dave & Matt Vans and Journal of Lost Time
Words by Frankie Spontelli (edit by Ashley Tomzik)
Images by Frankie Spontelli
Day 1. Wyoming to Kalispell, Montana
The crisp, cool Wyoming air brushed my face as it came creeping through the van’s fan above our heads as we slept in a Holiday Inn parking lot. Monday had been a long day… we both worked full days and at 5 PM we closed our laptops, packed the rest of our belongings in the van, and headed off on our journey north to explore Glacier National Park and the neighboring town of Kalispell, Montana. This was the perfect trip to team up with my friends at Dave and Matt Vans - we had thousands of miles to cover and needed a place to sleep, eat and work. I knew having a campervan on this particular trip would be essential to our time efficiency and our ability to create on the go. We rented a Dave and Matt’s Dodge ProMaster 159”, fitted with a mini kitchen area and a comfy memory foam mattress in the back, perfect for roadside naps and our upcoming nights spent at Montana Basecamp.
This trip started as a simple idea when I couldn’t make a decision about what I wanted to do for my birthday. I said to my fiance, Ashley, “Wouldn’t it be cool if we went to Glacier National Park?” Last year, we spent my birthday in Grand Lake, Colorado exploring Rocky Mountain National Park, but I knew I wanted to step it up this year. In early August, my dream became a reality when an online travel magazine called Journal of Lost Time reached out to us to do a project in collaboration with Discover Kalispell, which would put us at the West gate of Glacier National Park.
Fast forward and there we were.. sleeping in a random hotel parking lot, slowly making our way to Montana. That’s van life - sometimes all you need is a parking lot and a nearby local coffee shop for that morning cup. We grabbed a couple of hot beverages and hit the road to complete the final nine hours left of our drive. The roads were empty so we set the cruise control and watched the miles tally as we left Wyoming in the dust and entered the beautiful state of Montana. I had never visited Montana before and Glacier has been on my bucket list for a while, I couldn’t wait for the adventures that lie ahead.
After cruising through the final hours of lush National Forest land, we made our way into the town of Kalispell to meet the rest of our film and production crew set to join us on the tourism project. We parked our noble steed on the street and went into Kalispell Brewing. The beers were great and the service was top-notch. After finishing our round of beers we went to a local state park to catch the sunset while filming and photographing the diverse town that lay below us. After dark, we parked the van at the Montana Basecamp RV Park for the night. I sat outside the van for a little, watching the stars twinkle and the moon rise above our campground as Glacier National Park stared at me from the horizon.
Day 2. Kalispell, Montana
We woke up the next day to chilly temperatures and made our way into downtown Kalispell to check out Ceres Bakery. The flaky pastries tempted us as we made our selections - I had a hard time not ordering one of everything in the display case. Our favorite treat was by far the Huckleberry Bun but the Cinnamon Roll was a close second. The matcha green tea paired nicely with both as we snapped photos and videos inside this quaint Montana bakery. We chatted with the owner about the bakery’s history as she gave us a brief tour of the bakeshop, my mouth still watering as I watched some of the pastries come out of the giant oven. After breakfast, we made our way to Flathead Lake where we had a half-day excursion planned with Sea Me Paddle Kayak tours. I had never kayaked in a closed-top kayak and immediately saw some challenges with capturing images from a more advanced kayak set up, but our guide, Mike, gave us some tips on how to avoid flipping the kayak. Our group of six paddled out on some rough waters with windy conditions, not ideal when carrying your camera gear with you. After paddling through boat docks and winding through islands, we parked the kayaks at a small island to stretch our legs and take a break from the rough waters. Mike told us stories about the history of the area and we snapped a few photos before we paddled along a wildlife refuge, home to a handful of bird species including the Bald Eagle. The lake calmed down as the sun came out, and we made our way back to where we started. I spotted the Dave and Matt van sitting lakeside and she looked damn good. The perfect spot to open the van door and read a book while watching the lake waves crash peacefully. A local on a jet ski floated by the dock exclaiming that they spotted a bear having an afternoon swim in the lake. We watched from a distance, mystified by the bear's swim stroke.
After our excursion on the lake, we made our way to Desoto Grill for some delicious Montana BBQ. The crew snacked on nachos as we waited patiently for our meals to arrive. The pulled pork was next level and we splurged on peanut butter pie for dessert. As we made our way back to Montana Basecamp, I could feel a food coma creeping in, so I climbed into our comfy van-bed for an afternoon nap.
Feeling recharged, we made our way to Rocky Mountain Outfitters for our second water activity of the day: paddleboarding on the Flathead River. The ladies paddled the river up and down, unsure of which way the current was running. They attempted headstands as we captured video footage, flew the drone and shot countless photos of the SUP experience. The sun hovered lower in the sky, casting a golden glow on the scene around us: a bridge cutting over the river, paddleboards below, and big Montana mountains lining the horizon. We all met on the shoreline, selecting the perfect stones to skip across the river… the water was crystal clear and the riverbed was lined with colorful red, blue and grey rocks.
For dinner, we made our way into the Moose’s Saloon through classic, western-style wooden saloon doors. It felt like stepping into the past - the ground was a sea of hay and discarded peanut shells, taxidermy hung on the walls, and I made eye contact with a buffalo head who hung next to the bar. Our booth was dark but cozy and filled with good vibes as we laughed about our lake and river adventures while snacking on deliciously cheesy pizza and refreshing salads. I snapped a few photos of the interior of the saloon.
It had been another picture-perfect day spent in Kalispell, Montana. We gathered back at Montana Basecamp, preparing our gear to head out on a guided llama packing hike early the next day. Sleep came on quickly as the Webasto heater warmed up the van. I drifted into dreams of llamas, pastries, and the views that awaited us the next day.
Day 3. Swan Mountain Range, Montana
The next day greeted us with a cold and gray morning in Kalispell, but we were excited for our excursion with Swan Mountain Outfitters. I had never experienced a llama packing trip and was super intrigued. Three members in our crew had previously hiked the Pacific Crest Trail and Ashley and I were pretty seasoned backpackers, we were all very familiar with carrying all of our gear. We met with our guides Danielle and Gabe, and they introduced us to the llamas who would be hauling our gear for the next day and a half. We piled into one large SUV and took a bumpy ride to the trailhead to begin our seven-mile hike to camp for the night.
Our favorite llama was Raffi (or as we called him, Rasta Raffi) as he wouldn’t stop eating the entire seven-mile hike. The views on this trail were exceptional; the Swan Mountain Range beamed on the horizon with a fresh layer of snow at the very top. Our guides were excited to see the dusting of powder but I felt a bit apprehensive about the temperatures for that night. The temperatures were predicted to be below freezing that night and although the llamas were hauling my extra layers, I was concerned it would be a long, chilly night.
At least five of our seven hiking miles were spent upon an epic ridgeline with 360-degree views. Gabe pointed northwest, where we could see a glimpse of Glacier National Park and it’s jagged peaks that stretched across the horizon. I was enamored by the views and couldn’t stop taking photos of our llama packing group with autumnal colors lining the forest floor around each and every bend. This was the Montana I had previously pictured in my head… the start of the Canadian Rockies was a magical place to witness the fall color change.
The sun dipped closer to the mountains in the west as we made our way down to our lakeside campground for the night. Golden hour was beginning as we set up camp and our guides made a fire to keep us warm. The smell of BBQ ribs filled the campground as our dinner was prepared for us, a really nice touch after hiking seven miles at llama speed. We sat next to the campfire and devoured our meal while sipping IPA’s and exchanging stories. The fire crackled peacefully as I began adding more firewood to increase our natural heater. The s’mores came out after dinner and we all made a few toasty marshmallows. As the temperatures continued to drop, I knew we wouldn’t last much longer outside of our tents. Thankful for my extra layers and the llamas who hauled the gear up, I climbed into our tent and zipped myself into my sleeping bag. It was a restless night - with below-freezing temperatures, I tossed and turned in my mummy bag wondering if I should expose my face to the cold temps or keep it hidden inside my sleeping bag.
Day 4. Swan Mountain Range to Kalispell, Montana
We woke up to a partially frozen lake in the Montana backcountry and the sounds of the campfire cracking outside our tents. hen a hot cup of tea coaxed me out of my purrito, it was time to move around, eat breakfast and hike out. The views were just as stunning as the hike in as we charged our way onto the ridgeline to catch the last of the morning light. I flew the drone over the group as they hiked down below like ants in the row, llama person-person llama, also capturing some images on my Sony that stood out as my favorite from this part of the trip. Picture this: Swan Mountain sits in the background with fall-fauna covering the trailside as our group hikes into the distance.. an image that truly speaks to the scale of these towering Montana peaks.
We finished our hike and our guides loaded up our pack llamas for the bumpy ride down to the ranch. I was thankful when I could spot the Dave and Matt 159” waiting for us in the ranch parking lot. I snapped some photos of the van with some of the Swan Mountain Range behind it and we piled in to make our way to Kalispell for one last night in town.
Day 5. Kalispell, Montana to Glacier National Park
After a solid night of rest, we woke up giddy with excitement to visit Glacier National Park. Our van would be taking us on one of the most scenic roads in Montana, Going to the Sun Road. We fueled up and entered the park for a day of adventure and exploration. We were greeted with breathtaking views of sweeping mountains that rise up thousands of feet below the valley floor… I stopped a number of times to shoot the van on the road surrounded by epic mountain views
Glacier National Park is certainly a place that you can explore from your vehicle; however, with over 700 miles of trail, we wanted to set out on foot to find some magically blue glacier lakes. I did very little research on Glacier before going there in our Dave & Matt Van, and sometimes that’s the best way to explore a place for the first time - you feel a different type of excitement. I couldn’t stop shooting photos along the way as we made our journey on Going to the Sun Road up to the trailhead for our first short hike of the day.
We eventually made our way to the Hidden Lake Overlook. However, the weather wasn’t cooperating with 15 to 20mph winds almost sweeping us off our feet. Dodging hoards of tourists, we swiftly made it to the end of the platform for a foggy view of a turquoise blue lake. Unfortunately, the rest of the trail was closed due to grizzly bear activity. We didn’t stay long and made our way back to the van to warm up and continue our journey through the park. We made our way to the Wild Goose Island viewpoint and parked the van in a spot to watch the sunset from the van window. Once again with challenging weather conditions, we didn’t get much of a sunset, but it was still an incredible backdrop to enjoy dinner in the van. We had acquired backpacking permits earlier that day and planned to hit a quick trail near Two Medicine Lake to camp for the night. The moon rose over the van as we drove to the trailhead, but we quickly learned that the weather wasn’t going to cooperate. Instead, we decided to sleep in the van next to the lake - it was a good decision since it down-poured all night. Hoping for better conditions in the morning we tried to get some rest as the powerful glacial winds rocked us to bed like babies.
Day 6. Many Glacier Road - East Glacier National Park
We woke up to more rain and wind, but that’s how it goes when you’re at the liberty of giant mountains and the unique weather patterns that they create. We drank tea in the van, made breakfast, and I captured a few photos before leaving the Two Medicine area in the morning. We made our way to Many Glacier Road, an area of the park that would be closing after today. We thought it was a decent weather day to try and get on the trail for a hike, but when we arrived at the trailhead, Montana was once again serving up the moody conditions. We watched the rain hit the windshield and mentally prepared ourselves for the possibility of an entire hike in the rain, but we weren’t going to miss these opportunities to hike in one of the most beautiful national parks.
With our bear spray at our hip, we made our way to Iceberg Lake as the rain transitioned from a drizzle to a pour… and eventually stopped once we reached the lake at the top. It was cold and wet but the conditions were incredible. We stood under a tree to try for shelter from the rain while eating peanut butter and jelly sandwich next to a Gatorade blue lake, wishing we had some ice-cold Gatorade (or maybe a hot tea). On our hike out we came across our first set of grizzly bears, but we didn’t feel threatened because they were at a very safe distance. We snapped some photos from afar and then decided to make our way down.
The rain continued for the last 2 miles of the hike, but we had two things motivating us to cruise downhill: a warm van and chicken noodle soup. This was a huge advantage to having a campervan waiting for us - the ability to escape the wild weather conditions and make food and relax while we waited for the rain to slow down. We made our way back into the main part of Glacier National Park for a magical drive on Going to the Sun Road, hoping to find some BLM land where we would camp for the night. We pulled over a handful of times to capture the clouds dipping in and out of the peaks and even witnessed a bald eagle soaring majestically over the valley below. We would remember this drive and this pull off for the rest of our lives as a special moment unfolded… I proposed to Ashley up here as we overlook the lush glacial valley below. This park is a truly magical and wild place.. a trip we will talk about for a very long time.
Day 7. West Glacier National Park
We were nearing the end of our trip in Montana, but we couldn’t resist squeezing in a couple more adventures. We made a plan to head into the park early and hike to Avalanche Lake. When we arrived at the trailhead a similar scene lay in front of us: rain switching between torrential downpour and a light drizzle, but no blue skies in sight. We parked the van and decided to wait it out a bit; Ashley spent time working on her yoga teacher training while I began editing photos from our excursions earlier in the trip,the perfect way to kill some time, We made lunch and after letting our food settle, we noticed an opening in the clouds and prepared for another soggy hike.
We started on a boardwalk that wrapped through a stunningly lush forest before heading down the heavily trafficked out and back trail towards Avalanche Lake. Although it was a weekday, there were still plenty of tourists to dodge as we set a quick pace, passing hundreds of other hikers. As we approached our destination, the clouds opened up and we sped up to see if we could capture the sun beaming down on the indigo green lake. The short window of sunlight closed quickly and it started to drizzle again, so we decided to head back down to the van.
We jumped in the van to warm up and dry our hiking gear before our final drive along Going to the Sun Road. This time the weather socked in the peaks that surrounded us as I pulled the van into a few parking areas to shoot the moody conditions out of the window with my telephoto lens. We saw two sets of grizzly bears as we drove out of the park and back to Two Medicine Lake for our final night in Montana. Exhausted from a week of adventuring on the road, we fell asleep quickly in our warm, cozy bed..
It was an exceptional trip and we couldn’t have made it happen without our partners: Dave and Matt Vans, Discover Kalispell, and Journal of Lost Time. The trip wouldn’t have been the same without our Dave and Matt 159 campervan, which gave us the ability to work, relax and recover while out on the road. Until next time, thanks for reading along.
Be well,
-Frankie @fr33water