DAY 2 – SATURDAY, MORNING:

After an awesome first day I was eager to get back out and continue riding the Rampart Range Drive northbound. I got up, ate a wonderful breakfast prepared by my BnB hosts and then headed out.

Before continuing my journey I decided to give the Garden of the Gods another visit and see some of the areas I didn’t on the previous day. There are some fantastic sights and incredible rock formations to behold.

Shortly after I picked up from where I left off the day before, by driving back up to Woodland Park and continuing the Rampart Range Drive from there. I now had 1 day of off-road riding under my belt so I was a bit more comfortable off-tarmac.

The temperatures were quite high, even from early morning, as there was a beautifully clear sky so I was ready for a scorching day under the sun.

Soon into my journey along the trail I was diverted onto an adjacent and much tighter route due to some forest fires. Although it was a bit hairy, it was immense fun taking this more technical and bumpy single-track road through the Coloradan wilderness.

After rejoining the main Rampart Range Drive heading north I stopped for some lunch just off the main road in the forest. Being completely alone in the forest, with my pack-lunch, was a great feeling. I need to do this more often back home in Switzerland.

DAY 2 – SATURDAY, AFTERNOON:

After lunch I carried on and stopped a few times to enjoy the incredible views along the way until I reached the end of the Rampart Range Drive.

After that it was a mix of dirt and tarmac as I rode past Twin Cedars and along the gorgeous South Platte river. I had an absolute blast following the river on this amazing road. Some of the best riding I’ve done to date, just cruising back towards Denver in the greatest of sceneries.

Once I hit the main roads it was a short ride back to the starting point of my trip in Denver.
I’m so glad I decided to take the plunge and spend a weekend out here in Colorado to enjoy some of these iconic sights and roads. It’s been a long dream of mine to ride Pikes Peak but ultimately the most memorable parts will be on the lesser known roads through the hills and forests.

I hope to come back in the near future to explore more of this vast ‘playground’ and maybe try some other flavour of bike too.

Enjoy the rest of the phots from the weekend: