Trails cleaned up after Irma
Some paths open, others closed as storm debris, trees cleared
Bicyclists Jack and Diane Leitzinger weren’t sure how far they’d get when they began pedaling on the West Orange Trail.
Less than a mile into their ride, they saw yellow caution tape and warning signs near the Winter Garden Station on East Plant Street, a trail stop with free parking, restrooms and a playground. It was covered with fallen limbs and toppled trees, one of which bent an iron picnic table.
Central Florida’s recreational trails, favored by bicyclists, runners and walkers because of tree canopies that provide shady stretches to ride and run, were hit hard by Irma. The storm shook heavy branches loose and toppled or uprooted more than 200 large trees along Orange County’s trails.
“Lots of branches down, some big trees, but they’re all cleared off the trail,” said Jack, 73, after he and Diane, 65, rode 90 minutes Friday.
Matt Suedmeyer, manager of the county’s Parks and Recreation division, said Irma took down 160 trees along the West Orange Trail, 41 along the Cady Way Trail and 20 more along the Little Econ Greenway, all bicycling routes. Limbs fell on trails in Seminole and Lake counties, too.
Artist Jeff Sonksen, whose pop-culture paintings adorn fences along the Seminole-Wekiva Trail, said the storm littered trails with debris.
“It was pretty bad,” Sonksen said. “You couldn’t even see any of the pavement on the trail. It was all debris everywhere. It looked like a bomb went off … ” He estimated a quarter of his fence panels were ruined.
A steady stream of bicyclists, walkers and runners — including a group of jogging moms pushing baby strollers — crowded the trail Sunday.
“Seminole County came through. They were hard at it the day after the storm,” said Bob Bieber, whose backyard abuts the trail.
Seminole County authorities fenced off part of the trail from the Softball Complex near Altamonte Springs to Montgomery Road, about three-quarters of a mile. That section of the trail will be closed indefinitely because of “major damage,” the county reported on its website.
Orange County prioritized cleanup efforts in its parks, pushing the venues that get the most use to the front of the line, said Suedmeyer, whose division manages more than 100 park sites. The West Orange Trail tops that list. County crews swept debris to the sides.
Bicycling clubs lifted limbs off riding trails, too.
Patti Maguire, a member of the Half-Fast Social Cycling Club, said four club members swept branches, twigs and leafy debris off three miles of the Cady Way Trail in Orlando.
“I just felt like maybe we could get out there and contribute a little bit,” Maguire said. “We didn’t have big, big stuff to clear, just stuff that was laying on the trail that you probably don’t want to run over with skinny-tire bikes.”
A member of her cleanup quartet, Alan Smith, wore a backpack leaf blower to blast debris while biking.
While the trail is clear for now, some branches are dangling overhead and could be a danger if not removed soon.
Members of another bicycle club, the Florida Freewheelers, also pitched in.
While the 22-mile West Orange Trail is clear from Apopka to the Killarney Station at the Orange-Lake county line, a northern section of the trail has disappeared. The paved pathway caved in behind Apopka Middle School after a storm drain pipe collapsed, a schools spokeswoman said.
Suedmeyer said repairs could be complicated, as the section is close to a bus depot. The county fenced off the lost section.
Trail users were grateful to those who cleared the way.
Linda Kozak, part of a club whose members run the West Orange Trail on Saturdays, expressed her gratitude in an email to the county.
“After Irma, we weren’t quite sure in what condition we would find the trail,” she wrote. “To our pleasant surprise, it was beautiful.”
Kozak, 61, in training for a half-marathon in November, said she and her friends ran seven miles on the trail Saturday.
“Running is a great way to exercise, be with friends and relieve stress,” Kozak wrote. “If we ever needed a run to relieve stress, it was definitely the Saturday after Irma’s wrath.”
Lee Markowitz, a cyclist, walked his bike around a bend in the trail in Winter Garden during his ride, concerned about sticks puncturing his tires.
He praised the pace of repairs.
“They can’t do it overnight. They’ll get it,” he said. “Probably the next time I come through here it’ll be a whole lot better.”
The Leitzingers, who ride five times a week, covered nearly 20 miles during their Friday ride on the trail.
The couple pedaled from Winter Garden to the Buddhist Temple on ApopkaVineland Road and back.
Because trees will have to be removed from trail edges, Suedmeyer said bicyclists, runners and others planning to exercise on the West Orange or other Orange County trails should check for updates at www.ocfl.net/ CultureParks.
Other trail riders suggested using a little extra caution.