BY MICHELE MILLER
“Even for people who ride in the day, the night ride feels new because the trails look very different. There’s more wildlife. Different wildlife. And because of our special permissions, we’re the only ones in the park at that time.”
Mark Hardies, Trail Boss
As dusk rolls around it’s typically time for park visitors to wrap things up and get on out before Mark Berlinger – AKA “Mark the Park Ranger” – closes it up for the night at Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park.
But once a month or so, adventurers of another sort don helmets with LED lights, climb on bikes blazoned with names like ‘Ferrari’, ‘ Giant Anthem’, and ‘Trek’, and roll on in and through the park for a nighttime excursion.
Anywhere from a few to thirty or so riders – new, casual or season riders – head out into the woods led by trail boss, Mark Hardies, his wife Diane Prekup, and members of the SWAMP Mountain Bike Club.
The night ride is a more recent add-on to the group’s other activities that include organized day rides, a Kids’ Skills Day held in the trail’s Gnome Zone, and bike packing camping excursions to the primitive campsites.
The night ride, where a fast rule is to have the proper gear along with water, repair tools and a dousing of bug spray, have become increasingly popular, Hardies said.
“It’s like going into battle,” Prekup said as she sprayed herself in parking lot 10 at the trailhead.
Diane Prekup
That’s the price riders pay for an oft-not seen vantage.
“It’s never the same,” she said. “We see owls, bats, all kinds of things. It’s a different place when you are just seeing what’s right in front of you.”
Photo Courtesy Diane Prekup
“Even for people who ride in the day, the night ride feels new because the trails look very different,” Hardies said. “There’s more wildlife. Different wildlife. And because of our special permissions, we’re the only ones in the park at that time.”
That was part of the attraction for J.R. Voelker, and his son Easton, who would typically be racing BMX this time of year.
“We saw it on the neighborhood (social media) page,” he said. “We thought it would be cool.”
Hardies, who is a physics professor at St. Petersburg College, has been the trail boss for about three and a half years. He also heads up star gazing nights at Starkey Park with members of the Pasco County Astronomy Club. Those have been put on hold because of the pandemic.
As trail boss he oversees the care and upkeep of 19 miles of trail and recruiting and working with volunteers. He also organizes group rides and guided training rides for first-timers.
“Three sections make up the trail, so there’s lots of options for different rides,” said Hardies, adding that a proposal was recently put forth to add another loop that would add 10 miles to the trail.
Whether new or seasoned, Hardies suggests riders familiarize themselves with the trail during the day before coming out for a night ride.
Riders are broken up into separate groups according to their level of ability. Hardies and members of the SWAMP Riding Club serve as guides, with one riding in the front and another taking up the rear as a “sweeper” to make sure no one gets left behind.
“Some months we have 30 riders. Some months we have 10,” he said, adding that riders should plan on a two-hour trek.
In terms of mountain biking trails, the ride is a cross country version of more difficult treks, Hardies said.
“This is Florida. It’s a single track through the woods with no hills and mountains.”
“Beginners and immediate riders love riding this trail,” he said. “The adrenaline junkies who are often younger, typically go to trails other than ours.”
Overall, more people are using the trail these days, Hardies said.
“The park has become very, very popular this summer.”
- Night Rides are the second Friday of each month, trail maintenance is the third Saturday of each month and group rides are the third Sunday of each month.
- There is no sign-up or registration, but each event will require a trail-ready bike, helmet and water. Kids under 16 need to have an adult with them on the ride.
- The current COVID situation has changed some of these regular programs, but the Starkey Mountain Bike Trail FaceBook posts will keep everyone up to date.
NOTE: Group rides and clean up days may be cancelled/postponed due to the pandemic or weather. For up-to-date information on future rides, activities and volunteer days, follow on The Starkey Mountain Bike Trail Facebook page. For kids activities check out the Gnome Zone @ Starkey Facebook page.
Nice article thank you. The night rides are the second Friday of each month, not the first.
Hey Mark – Fixed that in the story. Copied and pasted that info from an email, but is correct now.