Drifty, Two Ways

Now that we have two Drifty’s under our belt we’ve started to compare them, like every good parent. We know they’re not created equal but we love them both the same.

The Driftless 250 is a complex dish. Sure, both Drifty’s have some peddling, paddling, and camping but the adventure is a bit more than that. To start, the weather in Wisconsin is about as predictable as a three year old with a wiffle ball bat. The 2nd Edition covered lows of 34 degrees, highs of 80 degrees, sun, wind, and hail. The Driftless region also benefits from the wonderful seasonality of the Midwest. This means river water levels, bug feisty-ness, and local festivals are quite different year round. You can’t visit Cheese Days in the Spring after all (but you can check out Morel Fest).

We think all this variability is awesome so we’re going to keep serving up the Drifty twice per year. If you’re looking for some guidance on which to choose, look no further.

The Spring edition has it’s perks: no bugs, fast waters, and first crack at the river before the Summer paddlers. In the Spring the river’s quick enough that you can almost shave off an entire day of paddling, which can give you one more day to huff and puff up those notorious hills. On the other hand, the river moves quick enough you can get away with not much paddling at all. The downside? It rains in Wisconsin in the Spring so you might get a little spritz on ya.

In the late Summer edition, the river is lazy and you’ve got so many sand bars to camp on you’ll have have to worry about running aground. The slower river means you might have to paddle a bit harder to make sure the bike back from the Mississippi isn’t miserable. You’ll be treated to warmer temps, friendly (some would say pesky) bugs to accompany you, and lots of sunshine. The fish bite a bit better in the late summer too.

In summary:

Spring Edition

• More rainbows

• A swift river

• No Bugs

• Paddle less, Peddle slower

• Lots of hills

Late Summer Edition

• More Sunshine

• Sand bars galore

• Warmer temps

• Paddle more, Peddle faster

• Lots of hills

The good news for you is that Wisconsin hospitality and Spotted Cow are in season year round.

If want our opinion, just do them both. Life is short; you can have your Drifty and eat it too.

Jake and Larissa