SEPTEMBER 1, SATURDAY, 10:00 a.m.
Kayak and Canoe trip
Where: Tallapoosa River near Horseshoe Bend
National Military Park
Details:
Please note that the correct time for departure from the Publix parking lot
is 10:00 a.m.
It is NOT 9:00
a.m.
This will
be Southeastern Outings’ first canoe and kayak trip on this river
stretch. This is a scenic stretch of river located in a very rural
area. This stretch is fairly easy with a multitude of riffles in it and
sometimes class I or class II rapids. Along the river we’ll stop from
time to time to swim and soak in the river.
One
Southeastern Outings member has two kayaks. He is willing to make his
second kayak available to another Southeastern Outings kayaker who wants to
participate in this outing and who does not own a kayak. Our generous
member is willing to bring his spare kayak with him on this trip. The
spare kayak is a fairly new 8 ½ foot long sit-in (not sit-on-top) kayak.
If you would like to borrow a kayak for this trip, please contact Bill Ennis,
205/405-4636 cell. First come, first served.
Novice
canoeists are welcome and may come on this trip, but each novice canoeist must
be partnered with an experienced canoeist in their canoe.
Please
note that for this trip you may rent canoes or one person sit-upon plastic
kayaks and paddles from Off the Beaten Path Canoe and Kayak Outfitters.
Rental fees include life jackets and shuttle service. Also the outfitter
will shuttle for a fee all drivers bringing private boats on this outing.
If you wish to rent a boat from the outfitter, please call Dan Frederick BEFORE
September 1 at 205/631-4680 or email seoutings@bellsouth.net to reserve your boat.
Please
note that the outfitter has only 3 canoes and 24 one-person sit-upon kayaks and
1 tandem (2-person) sit-upon kayak for rent, so be sure you call to reserve
early. Once all their boats of one type or the other are reserved for
September 1,
there will be no more boats of that type available to rent! Outfitter charges are $30 for solo
kayaks, $50 for canoes and tandem kayaks and $10 per non boat-renting person
requesting outfitter’s transportation from takeout back to put in.
You may
bring your own canoe or kayak on this trip, but you must pay the outfitter to
shuttle you from the take out back to the put in if you park your car at the
take out before the boats are launched.
When we
arrive at the put in, you will sign a waiver and pay your shuttle or boat
rental fee. Drivers of all our cars will then drive their cars to the
take out point and the outfitter will bring all of them back to the put in
where boat passengers and boat renters are eagerly waiting to begin
paddling. We will then paddle down the river to the take out, stopping as
often as we want to.
Well-behaved,
properly supervised children age 10 and over welcome.
After the
kayak and canoe trip we are planning to go to a restaurant in Alexander City
for dinner. If you would like to have dinner with us at the restaurant
after the canoe trip, please bring a change of clothes. You can change
clothes in the large restrooms near the put in at the Horseshoe Bend National
Military Park.
Reservations
Required: You must contact Dan Frederick, email seoutings@bellsouth.net
or call 205/631-4680 if you plan to come on this kayak and canoe trip.
You may leave a message on Dan’s voice mail if you wish.
Depart
10:00 a.m. from
the Publix in The Village at Lee Branch in Greystone.
For more essential information about this trip, please see Note for Canoe Trips
at the end of this calendar section.
Info: If you have further questions,
please call or email Dan Frederick, email seoutings@bellsouth.net
or phone 205/631-4680.
SEPTEMBER 8, SATURDAY,
9:30 a.m.
Kayak/Canoe Trip,
Tallapoosa River at Heflin, Alabama
Details: The section we will paddle is
relatively easy with no classified rapids.
This is a scenic stretch of river located in a very rural area. Forty-four SEO people participated in this
very popular outing in August, 2011.
Please note that for this trip you may rent one or
two-person sit-upon plastic kayaks and paddles at the take out from Tallapoosa
River Outfitters. Rental fees include
life jackets and shuttle service to the put-in. Also the outfitter will shuttle for a fee all private
boats used on this outing. If you wish
to rent a kayak from Tallapoosa River Outfitters, please call Dan Frederick,
205/631-4680. Dan will relay your
reservation on to the outfitter. Please note that the outfitter has only 19
one-person sit-upon kayaks and 5 tandem (2-person) kayaks for rent, so be
sure you call to reserve early.
Once all their boats of one type or the other are reserved for September
8, there will be no more boats of that type available to rent!
Please note that this
outfitter no longer has any canoes for rent.
If you want to paddle a canoe for this outing, we suggest that you buy
one or borrow one from a friend.
Please see note for canoe trips below for more general
information.
After the canoe and kayak trip we are planning to go to a
restaurant on the way back for dinner.
Hot showers are available for $5.00 at a truck stop by Interstate
20. If you would like to shower, wash
up and/or have dinner with us at the restaurant after the canoe trip, please
bring a change of clothes and your shower things.
Depart 9:30 a.m. from the Leeds Highway 78 gravel parking
lot.
Reservations Required:
You must contact
trip leader Dan Frederick, seoutings@bellsouth.net or phone 205/631-4680 if you plan
to come on this canoe/kayak trip.
Please advise your name, telephone number, skill level, whether you want
to kayak or canoe and whether you are bringing or wish to rent a kayak and
whether you need a paddling partner.
You may leave a message on Dan’s voice mail if you wish.
Info: If you have further questions,
please contact Dan Frederick, 205/631-4680 or seoutings@bellsouth.net.
SEPTEMBER 15,
SATURDAY, 11:00 a.m.
Dayhike, Limestone
Rail Trail, Elkmont, Alabama
Details: This trail is located in extreme
North Alabama just to the west of I-65 and a few miles south of the
Tennessee-Alabama border. The hike is
rated easy. We will hike a total of 5.3
miles. There is much lovely scenery
along the path that was once a part of the Tennessee and Alabama Central
Railroad.
The trail
winds through wetlands with wildlife and a great variety of birds. On the trail you will pass the site of the
Civil War Battle of Sulphur Creek Trestle.
Please bring your picnic
lunch and drink with you.
Well-behaved,
carefully supervised children age 8 and over able to walk 6 miles without
complaining are welcome. Absolutely
delicious optional dinner afterwards at Terranova’s Restaurant in Athens,
Alabama.
Depart 11:00 a.m. from the Hayden/Corner Park and Ride
Info: Randall Adkins, 205/317-6969
SEPTEMBER 22, SATURDAY, 9:00 a.m.
Canoe and Kayak Trip
with Dinner After
Where: Terrapin Creek near Piedmont,
Alabama
Details: Please plan to come on a relaxing kayak and canoe trip on Terrapin
Creek in Calhoun County near Piedmont, Alabama. The section we will paddle is relatively easy with no classified
rapids. This is a scenic stretch of
creek located in a very rural area.
Thirty-three Southeastern Outings people participated in this popular
outing in June of 2017.
Please note that for
this trip you may rent canoes for $50 each or one person sit-upon plastic
kayaks for $30 each from Terrapin Outdoor Center. Rental
fees include shuttle service, paddles and life jackets. Also the outfitter will shuttle for a $10
fee per boat all private boats used on this outing. If you wish to rent a boat from
Terrapin Outdoor Center, please call the Center BEFORE September 22 at
256/447-6666 to reserve your boat.
Please be sure you tell the Center you are boating with Southeastern
Outings.
After the canoe and kayak trip we are planning to go to a
restaurant in Gadsden for an optional dinner.
If you would like to wash up and/or have dinner with us at the
restaurant after the canoe trip, please bring a change of clothes and a
towel. Outfitter has four changing
rooms. Two are changing rooms only with
no toilets or washbowls and two are restrooms with washbowls, toilets and running
water, but no showers.
Reservations Required:
You must email seoutings@bellsouth.net or call Dan Frederick, 205/631-4680 if
you plan to come on this outing. Please advise your
name, telephone number, skill level, whether you are bringing or wish to rent a
canoe or kayak and whether you need a paddling partner. You may leave a message on Dan’s voice mail
if you wish.
If you want to come on
the September 22 kayak and canoe trip AND you are renting a boat from the
outfitter at the site of the trip, you are required to call the BOTH the
outfitter to reserve your boat AND ALSO contact Dan Frederick, also, to
notify him that you are coming! Please
do not just show up for this outing at the meeting place without making advance
reservations! And if you decide to meet
us at some place other than the meeting place specified in this announcement,
please notify Dan in advance and directly of this fact.
Depart at 9:00 a.m. from Applebee’s Restaurant
Trussville. For more essential
information about this trip, please see Note for Kayak and Canoe Trips at the
end of this calendar.
Info: If you have further questions,
please call Dan Frederick, 205/631-4680
Note for Kayak and
Canoe Trips
The kayak and canoe outings listed in each boating trip
announcement above are suitable for beginner/novice canoeists and kayakers, but
each beginner canoeist must paddle with an experienced canoeist. Life jackets are required and must be
worn. You are responsible for finding
your own boat. Bring your own boat,
borrow one, paddle with a friend, or rent from the outfitter listed.
Please bring in the boat your picnic lunch, something to
drink and a towel. Put your belongings in a waterproof dry bag in the boat. Wear old shoes you don’t mind getting wet
(old sneakers work well). Also bring at
least 6 feet of sturdy cord to tie up your canoe if you don’t already have it
attached to your own canoe or especially if you are renting a canoe. If you have further questions, please call
the trip leader.
When you make your reservation with the trip leader, please
be absolutely certain to provide ALL
of the following information:
1. Whether you want to kayak or canoe
2. Whether you are renting a boat from
the outfitter or bringing your own boat
3. Your name
4. Your telephone number or email
address
5. If you are also making a reservation
for someone else coming with you, please give the NAME of that person. Don’t just say, “My daughter, my friend, my
wife”.
6. If you are canoeing, please give
your skill level.
7. If you have already selected a canoe
partner and you are making a reservation for your partner, too, please give the
name and skill level of your partner.
8. Please do NOT just show up at the
meeting place without making an advance reservation!!
9. And if you have made a reservation
to participate and then decide to cancel, please be absolutely sure to call and
notify the trip leader. Don’t
just tell your friend if you intend to cancel!!
SEPTEMBER 23, SUNDAY,
2:00 p.m.
Dayhike in a Forest
Preserve in Homewood
Details: The City of Homewood owns two forest
preserves on Shades Mountain adjacent to the Homewood High School. Come and spend a relaxing two hours walking
with us in the lower preserve. Rated
moderately easy. Well-behaved,
carefully supervised children age 6 and older welcome. Meet 2:00 p.m. in the Homewood High School
east (nearest Brookwood Village Shopping Center) parking lot, just off
Lakeshore Drive in Homewood.
SEPTEMBER 29, SATURDAY, 11:30 a.m.
Potluck Picnic Lunch followed by Afternoon Kayak or Canoe Paddle or Afternoon Dayhike
Where: Lower Fishing Lake (now called
Beaver Lake), Oak Mountain State Park, located at the back entrance to the
park. Please note that the meeting place pavilion for this outing is
different from where Southeastern Outings has gathered in the past for this
outing!
Details: Prior to the canoeing and kayaking
and hiking, boaters, hikers and other Southeastern Outings people and guests
will get together at the Beaver Pavilion near the Flip Side Water Sports
office, (FS and formerly the Fishing Center), for a group potluck picnic. Please bring a dish of food to share with the
group. Please bring all food items to
this potluck in dishes with a cover
on them (think “like Tupperware”.)
Please do not bring your food in fast food, cardboard or open
containers. There are obvious issues
with bees, flies and yellow jackets, etc. when setting up food exposed outdoors
to nuisance insects.
You may bring a
bag of potato chips, but if you do, you should bring some more substantial food
to share in addition. Please bring also
$5/person ($2 seniors and children) park admission fee, a beverage for yourself
and folding lawn chairs if you have them.
Southeastern Outings will furnish plates, cups, knives, forks, spoons,
napkins, and ice. Picnic preparations
will begin at 11:30 a.m. We will begin eating lunch at 12:00 noon regardless of
whether you are there or not!
After lunch you can enjoy boating on the lower fishing
lake. You may bring your own boat (no
charge) or you may rent a canoe from the park by paying for your rental canoe
at the back gate to the park. The park
says they have 5 tandem canoes for rent.
Two of the canoes each used to have one broken seat in them. Rental rate for canoes is $14 per hour. Cash
only. No credit cards accepted. First come, first served.
FS has available for rent 5 solo kayaks and 8
paddleboards. Rental rate for either is
$20 per hour. Cash or credit cards
accepted by FS.
No shuttle involved in any of these boating activities. Share an adventure! Bring a friend.
We’ll launch our boats about 1:30 p.m. or so at the lake
shore.
Or you can enjoy a moderately easy afternoon hike along the
shore of the upper fishing lake (now called Lunker Lake) in the park. Hike departs from the Beaver Pavilion about
1:30 p.m.
You are welcome to participate in the boating or hiking
and skip the group picnic; you are welcome to skip the boating or hiking and
come just for the picnic; or, as most people did the previous five times we
have sponsored this outing, you are encouraged to enjoy the outdoor exercise
activities AND the picnic.
Meet at the Beaver
Pavilion which is almost straight downhill from the back gatehouse entrance to
the park.
Info: (picnic) Acyenith Alexander
205/529-2253; (boating) Dan Frederick, seoutings@bellsouth.net or phone 205/631-4680; (hiking)
Kerry Cooper, kkcooper22@gmail.com or 205/541-5233
SEPTEMBER 30, SUNDAY,
2:00 p.m.
Moderately easy
four-mile dayhike on the Black Creek Trail in Fultondale, just north of
Birmingham
Details: Walk on a rails-to-trails conversion
route on an old railroad right of way.
This smooth trail is wide and level.
No hills! This finely-crushed
rock surface trail goes through mostly wooded terrain.
No motorized vehicles are allowed on the trail! This outing should be lots of fun for
everyone. Well-behaved, carefully
supervised children age seven and up able to walk four miles without
complaining are welcome on this walk. This
outing has consistently been one of our most popular events since it is easy,
brief, and close to Birmingham.
Depart 2:00 p.m. from Black Creek Park in Fultondale,
Alabama.
