4th of July Picnic
Where: Bartow Arena Park
Details: Please bring your own blanket or chairs and all your
picnic supplies: food, drinks (no alcohol, please), cups, ice, utensils,
etc. Look for the SEO signs. SEO people will assemble to the right of the
dragon statue (as you face the band) right where the grass ends and the
concrete floor leading to the entrance to the arena begins. Well-behaved children, but no dogs, are
welcome.
Reservations: Not required.
JULY 4, THURSDAY, 7:00 p.m.
FREE 4th of July Band Concert Followed by City of Birmingham
Fireworks
Where: Bartow Arena Park
Details: Band concert by the UAB Summer Band. This large group of carefully auditioned and
selected student and professional musicians is an outstanding concert
band. Please bring your own blanket or
chairs. SEO people will assemble to
the right of the dragon statue (as you face the band) right where the grass
ends and the concrete floor leading to the entrance to the arena begins. Look for the Southeastern Outings
signs. When the concert ends,
conveniently enjoy clearly viewing the Birmingham City Fireworks from the
picnic area. Well-behaved children, but
no dogs, are welcome.
Reservations: Not required
Info: Dan Frederick, seoutings@bellsouth.net or 205/631-4680
JULY 4, THURSDAY, After the Concert and Fireworks
Potluck Dessert Get-Together
Where: Bartow Arena Park
Details: Southeastern Outings
people will stay at the Bartow Arena Park for a while after the fireworks are
concluded, avoiding all the exiting traffic congestion. Then we will enjoy good company and food. You are encouraged to invite one or several
guests to come with you since this event is one of the best SEO events for
introducing yourself (if you are not already a member) and your friends to the
group. Please bring a small dessert
with you to share with the group. SEO
will provide a table to set out desserts plus plates, napkins, forks and
spoons. We suggest you also bring your
own drink (no alcohol, please) with you.
Well-behaved children, but no
dogs, are welcome.
No Charge
Reservations: Not required
Info: Dan Frederick, seoutings@bellsouth.net or 205/631-4680
JULY 6, SATURDAY, Meet 9:45 a.m.
Canoe and Kayak Outing, Big Wills Creek near Gadsden, Alabama.
Details: This will be Southeastern
Outings’ seventh canoe and kayak trip on Big Wills Creek. This is a scenic stretch of river located in
a very rural area. This stretch is
fairly easy and without classified rapids.
Along the river we’ll see wildflowers and stop to investigate islands
and beaches. Forty-six SEO people
participated in this very popular outing in 2015.
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 Big
Wills Outfitters. Rental fees include
life jackets and shuttle service. Also
the outfitter will shuttle for a fee all private boats used on this
outing. If you wish to rent a boat from
Big Wills Outfitters, please call the outfitter BEFORE July 6 at 256/438-7172
to reserve your boat. Tell the
outfitter you are boating with Southeastern Outings.
Please note that the outfitter has only 7 canoes and 57one-person
sit-upon kayaks and 4 tandem (2-person) sit-upon kayaks for rent, so be sure
you call to reserve early. Once all
their boats of one type or the other are reserved for July 6, there will be no
more boats of that type available to rent!
If you rent a boat from this
outfitter, the outfitter will take you and your rented boat to the put in, and
you will take out at the outfitter’s property so you will never need to
transport your rented boat at all. Life
jackets, paddles and shuttle fee are included in the rental boat fee for those
who rent boats from the outfitter. You
may bring your own canoe or kayak on this trip, but you must pay the outfitter
to shuttle your privately-owned boat.
For more information about the outfitter and photos of the creek, please
visit their website www.facebook.com/bigwillsoutfitters
When we arrive at the outfitter’s,
you will sign a waiver, pay your shuttle or boat rental fee, use the restroom,
and then eat lunch in the picnic pavilion at the outfitter’s. After you finish lunch the outfitter will
transport ALL the boaters and their boats, both rented and owned, to the put
in. We will then paddle down the creek
to the take out, stopping as often as we want to.
Well-behaved, properly supervised
children age 10 and over welcome.
After the canoe and kayak trip we
are planning to go to a restaurant in Gadsden for dinner. If you would like to have dinner with us at
the restaurant after the kayak and canoe trip, please bring a change of
clothes. A changing room is available
at the outfitter’s.
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.
Please meet 9:45 a.m. at the
Applebee’s in Trussville. We plan to
depart from there at 10:00 a.m. For
more essential information about this trip, please see Note for Canoe Trips
below.
Info. and trip leader: If you have further questions,
please call or email Dan Frederick, seoutings@bellsouth.net or
205/631-4680.
JULY 13, SATURDAY, Meet 9:45 a.m.
Easy River Float, Picnic, Swim, Short, Moderate Dayhike
Where: Locust Fork from Swann Bridge to Powell Falls near
Cleveland, AL
Details: Easy river float on the Locust Fork River. Float in the river from Swann Covered Bridge
to Powell Falls. We’ll view a genuine,
old but newly refurbished wooden covered bridge. Then we’ll float under the bridge and further, about a mile and a
half, downstream to the waterfall.
We’ll also view the sheer cliffs that rise about 60 feet above the
river. So enjoy a flowing river, covered
bridge, high rock bluffs and at least one waterfall—all along a one mile
stretch of this river. Bring something
to float on such as an inflatable vinyl float or air mattress. Substantial, fabric-covered, inflatable, vinyl, rectangular floats like you use to ride the waves at the Gulf work
best. See float note below for
information about acquiring floats.
Also please bring a picnic lunch,
drink, towel and sunscreen. Pack these items 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 foot protection. Old sneakers
work well. Bare feet, flip-flops, slip-ons and thin-soled “beach shoes” are not
acceptable!
Lunch will be on the huge flat
rock in the middle of the river beside the waterfall. Have fun swimming in the pool at the base of the rock, jumping
into the pool, climbing up and down or just sitting in Powell Falls. We will walk back to the bridge on a trail
along the river. You must be able to swim to participate in this outing!
Well-behaved, properly supervised
children age 7 and up able to swim welcome,
but parents are responsible for all risks to their children.
Spring floats, passenger car and pick up truck tire tubes and inflatable
boats are not 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. The last
time a woman tried to float down this river with us on a spring float (now that
I know what it is called), I had to order two high school football players in
our group to wade out into the river immediately to seize her and her spring
float in order to prevent her from being swept over the big waterfall. Those spring floats are meant for floating
in swimming pools and on lakes in still water, not for floating the Locust Fork
River. They are difficult to steer and therefore unsafe for use on
Southeastern Outings river floats.
Bring a friend or several if you
wish. Please be at the Cleveland
Chevron Service Station no later than 8:45 a.m. ready to depart promptly at
9:00 a.m. Arriving 15 minutes before
departure time will allow time to use the restrooms at the service station,
hear announcements concerning the day’s event, and form carpools from the
Chevron. Parking is extremely limited
at the put in point on the river.
Info: Dan Frederick, seoutings@bellsouth.net or 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 floats 60 inches long for sale for $12 each 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 longer 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.
JULY 27, SATURDAY, Meet 9:45 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 or canoes 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 boat 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 4
two-person canoes, 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 July 27, there will be no more boats of that type
available to rent! Outfitter boat
rental charges are $27 for solo kayaks, $47 for tandem kayaks and canoes, and
shuttle charge of $12 per boat for owned boats.
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.
Meet 9:45 a.m. at the Leeds
Highway 78 gravel parking lot. We plan
to depart from there at 10:00 a.m.
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.
Note for Kayak and Canoe Trips
The kayak and canoe outing listed
above is 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.
Two people just showed up for a river
trip we had in 2015 without notifying the leader that they were coming. This created considerable confusion and
delay. The outfitter had to make a
second trip from the put in back to his office and bring two more boats to the
put in because the total number of people who showed up that morning was two
more than the number which the leader had given to the outfitter the day
before. Please don’t let this happen
again!
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 boat. 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 kayak 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 at least two hours before
the departure time from the meeting place.
Don’t just tell your friend if you intend to cancel!!
