JUNE 16, SATURDAY, 9:00 a.m.
River Float, Picnic, Swim on the Locust Fork River from Taylor’s Ford through Cornelius Falls in Blount County near Royal, AL
Details: Easy river float on the Locust Fork River. Float in the river from Taylor’s Ford through Cornelius Falls and below. We’ll float downstream to the widest waterfall on the Locust Fork River. Enjoy eating your picnic lunch sitting on the rocks overlooking the waterfall. This is one of the prettiest lunch spots we have ever seen in Alabama. As we float we’ll also view sheer cliffs that rise high above the river. So enjoy a flowing river, high rock bluffs and a gorgeous waterfall—all along a nearly uninhabited stretch of this river. Bring a picnic lunch, drink, sunscreen and something to float on such as an inflatable vinyl float or air mattress. See Float Note below for additional information.
Please bring a towel, your picnic lunch and drinking water. Pack your lunch, sunscreen, towel and drink in 2 plastic garbage bags with twist ties, one bag over the other. Then put the bags in your daypack and strap the pack to your back. This keeps your things dry and prevents them from floating away. Wear swimsuit and sturdy footwear you don’t mind getting wet and dirty. Old sneakers work well. Bare feet, flip-flops, slip-ons and thin-soled “beach shoes” are not acceptable! You must be able to swim to participate in this outing!
Have fun swimming in the pools in the river and just sitting in Cornelius Falls. Well-behaved, properly supervised children age 8 and up welcome, but parents are responsible for all risks to their children.
Spring floats, passenger car and pick up truck tire tubes and inflatable boats arenot permitted on SEO river floats! A spring float is a flotation device consisting of an inflatable outer oval with a small, few inch diameter cross section and a large mesh interior. Those spring floats are meant for floating in swimming pools and on lakes in still water, not for floating the Locust Fork. They are difficult to steer and therefore unsafe for use on Southeastern Outings river floats.
Bring a friend or several if you wish. Depart 9:00 a.m. from the Cleveland Chevron.
Info: Dan Frederick, emailseoutings@bellsouth.net or call 205/631-4680
Float Note
Substantial, fabric-covered, inflatable, vinyl, rectangular floats like you use to ride the waves at the Gulf work best. Trip leader Dan Frederick has children’s floats (60 inches long) for $12 each for sale ONLY at the start of outings Dan attends. We regret that at this time we have been unable to find a source where we can buy more of the 72-inch canvas-covered floats. Please pay either with exact change or a check made out to SEO. First come, first served.
Here is an alternative to carrying your lunches, water, towel and sunscreen in a pack on your back. You can bring with you four 6-7 foot lengths of sturdy cord. Place your pack with your things in it in the middle of the foot of your float. Lash the pack to your float with two of the cords, one passing around the float and through the top of the straps and the other passing around the float and through the bottom of the straps of your pack. Pass the other two cords over the top of your pack and under the float and tie them down tightly. Then lie on your float with the pack sort of between your knees with your feet splayed out at the bottom corners of your float. Using this method eliminates your having to float down the river for several hours on your belly with a pack on your back, and it also gives you the option of turning over and lying on your back in the slower-moving sections of the river in order to change your body position and float more comfortably. If you are an adult, this method of fastening your pack to your float works only if you are using a 72-in long rectangular float. Either method of transporting your pack is satisfactory and acceptable. But I learned that people like it when you give them choices. In any case, your lunches, etc. should be double bagged (or placed in a waterproof canoe bag) inside your pack.
Inflatable boats are not permitted on SEO river floats!
