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Dirt Rag Articles
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Mountain bikers in Florida have never had it easy. First of all, their state has no mountains. For that matter, it's hardly even got any hills. And despite the moniker "The Sunshine State", the tropical weather is oftentimes more of a hindrance than a help, supplying oppressive heat, humidity and frequent rain. As if trail-wrecking deluges weren't bad enough, Florida sees more than its share of hurricane activity, which wreaks as much havoc on trails as it does on trailer parks. So the last thing Florida mountain bikers needed was to lose one of their favorite riding spots on account of personal injury lawyers.
But that's exactly what threatened Florida's freeride Mecca a few years ago. At the Santos trails near Ocala, an unauthorized freeride stunt park was built of shoddy materials surrounding the technical Vortex loop. Without proper design and maintenance, the ramshackle wooden obstacles and death-defying chutes played a role in a number of serious injuries, which in turn sparked litigation. Immediately the land managers ordered the destruction of all man-made obstacles, and it seemed as though the days of mountain biking at Vortex were numbered.
The quarry was nestled within the confines of the Cross Florida Greenway—a 110-mile swath of woodland that had been reserved for a canal project that never saw completion. And as luck would have it, two officers from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Greenways and Trails, Valerie Naylor and Mickey Thomason, were avid cyclists who recognized the value of mountain bike recreation. Another key factor in preserving the riding location was the existence of an IMBA-affiliated mountain bike club, The Ocala Mountain Bike Association, which had constructed all existing trails at Santos with permission.
Convinced that partnering with an organized group like OMBA would ensure future trail maintenance, Naylor and Thomason enlisted the help of IMBA's Trail Solutions. Trail Solutions is a fee-based, professional trail building program that allows land managers to take full advantage of IMBA's wealth of trail building expertise. In 2004, renowned trail builder Rich Edwards, with input from OMBA, conducted an initial assessment of the area and formulated a plan, which included risk management tactics such as signage and barriers. In 2005, Edwards returned and—with the help of over 1,100 volunteer hours—was able to unveil a new and improved freeride park, as well as an improved, lengthened 2.2-mile expert Vortex trail—just in time for the winter holidays.
In the past, Florida freeriders had just a handful of dubious drops and dilapidated wooden stunts to hone their skills upon. The new and improved park is a wonderland of technical challenges. Seven big drops (including a treacherous 20-footer) now cascade down the quarry, all clearly marked as dangerous trail features. Beginners and experts alike can find flow on the pump track, and a plethora of dirt jumps abound for those in search of hang time. Numerous well-built wooden stunts add fun and challenge to the ultra-technical freeride trails that surround the quarry, and a wooden wall ride invites experts to test their mettle.
Although freeriding is literally at the heart of Santos, cross country riders in Florida have plenty to be excited about—over 65 miles of singletrack to be exact. The trails are marked and rated yellow for easy, blue for intermediate, and red for advanced. And while it is true that elevation does not play much of a factor in Florida's mountain biking, it's not hard to get a solid workout. Local riders emphasize speed and cornering ability, and Central Florida's lush vegetation and abundance of limestone combine to make for some serious technical challenges.
Camping is permitted at Santos, and the surrounding area hosts separate hiking and horseback trails. The Santos Trailhead Bike Shop is conveniently located on Highway 441, and offers maps, service and rentals. At present, trail construction and maintenance continue, and OMBA has their first Spring Break Fat Tire Festival planned for March 23-25, 2007. Visit www.omba.org for more information.
Ed note: Special thanks to Rob Ern and OMBA.
| Exclusive Dirt Rag Web-Only Extras For Places to Ride: Santos—Ocala, FL | Jeff Guerrero has posted a series of pictures from Santos in the Dirt Rag Gallery. In his article titled "Florida Rocks", Jeff Guerrero deals the dirt on the mountain biking scene in Central Florida.
The Ocala Mountain Bike Association's website is a fantastic source of information. For instance, they offer an online map of the Santos/Vortex trail system.
An article originally published in the IMBA Trail News (Volume 19, Number 1, Spring 2006) titled "Riders, Land Managers and Trail Solutions Create a Multi-Faceted Riding Resource in Florida" tells the story of how forward thinking land managers, dedicated riders and IMBA's Trail Solutions program helped set the stage for the impressive riding area that we see at Santos today.
If you're looking for professional help in the Santos area, be sure to stop by the Santos Trailhead Bike Shop at 8900 S. US Highway 441, Ocala, FL 34480; phone 352.307.BIKE.
Crossing central Florida from the Gulf of Mexico to the St. Johns River is the 110 mile Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway, which occupies much of the land formerly known as the Cross Florida Barge Canal. For more information visit the Florida Department of Environmental Protection website. |
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