It’s always a little funny introducing myself at Lost Travel events. Am I here as staff… or as a participant? The answer is usually both. This year marked my second attempt at The Lil’ Drifty, and I went in with one goal: FINISH IT. (If you want the backstory on how attempt #1 went, you can read last year’s post here.)

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Spoiler: I finished. 

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Day 1 – Thursday, August 7th 2025

After a grocery run and loading up my gear, I rolled into Token Creek State Park around 1 p.m. It was so hot, but I got my tent up and bike ready to go. Official camp check-in wasn’t until 5pm, but people started trickling in by 3pm. We had the group camp area all to ourselves—tents scattered wherever you wanted, a pavilion for check-in, and coolers stocked with drinks.

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Riverview Adventure Company had set up a little pop-up with art and gear (pro tip: I should have had them look at my bike Thursday night instead of waiting until Friday morning). Dinner came from Mi Casa Tu Casa food truck—delicious and included in the event fee.

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At 8 p.m., the Lost Travel crew ran us through the rules, tips, and tricks, followed by a bonfire. Everyone got their fortune told, and mine was: “Take a selfie with someone named Jerry.” (Jerry is one of our crew who couldn’t make it, so—challenge accepted).

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I called it an early night.

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Day 2 – Friday, August 8th 2025

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The official Lil’ Drifty start! I didn’t sleep great, but I was packed up and bike loaded. Everyone was rushing Riverview to get their bikes tuned (again, should have gone Thursday). Breakfast was provided in the entrance fee and consisted of donuts, bagels, coffee, and fruit.  And for my girlfriends and I—champagne!

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We kicked things off under a new archway start line. True to tradition, someone launched rocks at balloons before heading out at about 8:45am.

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Our group of seven ladies had vowed to stick together. First stop: The Ranch Saloon for ice water, drinks, and cheese curds (and signing the ceiling tile - apparently,a tradition there). Next stop, On the Rox—because goats climbing on the roof is a must-see. One of our riders took a tough fall but was back on her bike quickly, hand bandaged and spirits intact.

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We rolled into Sauk City, checked out Riverview’s Bike shop (seriously cool spot), grabbed snacks at Kwik Trip, and sandwiches at Milo’s—where the staff treated us to a pickle shot (I hate pickles, but when in Rome…).

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By 4:30pm, we hit the transition point. Three of us hopped in a canoe with all our gear stuffed into garbage bags. We had an issue getting steady at first and the river was much more rough than I remembered from last year - it was hard work to keep paddling. We paddled until about 7:30 and landed on a sandbar. I “bathed” in the river, ate a PB&J, had a drink or two, a shot of Cherry Mcgillicuddy and crashed in my tent.

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Day 3 – Saturday, August 9th 2025

3 a.m. wake-up call: not from an alarm, but from diarrhea. Yep. I felt absolutely awful. Dehydrated, no cold water, questioning every life choice that had brought me here.  Just how you want to feel on a sandbar with no actual toilet, etc. 

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By 7:30 we were paddling again, and thankfully I started to feel human once we were moving. We reached the Spring Green boat launch around 11:30. After a group pow-wow, we made the collective call: ditch camping, find a hotel. (Best decision ever.).  Evan from Budget Bicycles was tuning bikes and the Lost Travel wagon hauled away our camping gear. I laid on the grass and again questioned these life choices - I didn’t know how I was going to bike about 25 miles. 

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The biking was just as brutal as last year—those hills are no joke. We stopped at Hyde General Store for pizza and gallons of ice water, then rolled on to the Military Ridge BIking trail.  We made a stop at the Ope Haus for another meal around 4:30 and this was where I found a Jerry and completed my fortune card. It’s also when we learned the hotels in Mount Horeb were all booked with weddings. Our only option? Verona. Another 20 miles away…I wanted to cry!

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At that point, I didn’t think my legs would carry me. But somehow, they did. We stopped at Riley Tavern for a celebratory drink, then pushed on as the sun was coming down, arriving at the Holiday Inn Express in Verona at 9 p.m.—thunderstorms rolling in just after we hit the pool and hot tub. I have never felt so accomplished… or so grateful for cold water, clean sheets and a warm and dry place to stay. Almost 40 miles on the bike put in - the paddling felt like days ago.

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Day 4 – Sunday, August 10th 2025

It was still raining when we woke up, but free hotel breakfast cures a lot of things. We made a quick run to Goodwill for rain gear, then pedaled out around 11 a.m. for the final stretch to Working Draft in Madison.  We made a quick stop to dane in the rain at Camp Randall Stadium to “Jump Around’.

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This section was mostly concrete paths (praise be), and we cruised into the finish line around 12:30pm. Cold beers, soft pretzels, pizza, and live music from Kylar Kuzio and Seth James made for the perfect celebration.

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When I looked back at what we had actually done—20+ miles paddling, 90+ miles biking—I couldn’t help but laugh. I was exhausted, sore, proud, and already signing up for next year.

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Because that’s The Lil’ Drifty. It’s hot, messy, unpredictable, and a little bit ridiculous—but it’s also friendship, grit, and the best kind of adventure.

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👉 Thinking about it for 2026? Just know: it’s not about how perfect your ride or paddle is. It’s about showing up, rolling with it, and crossing that finish line with a story you’ll tell forever.