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order issued by the Governor of Alabama and effective
beginning April 4, 2020 at 5:00 p.m.
April 4, 2020, at 5:00 P.M., every person is ordered
to stay at his or her place of residence except as
necessary to perform any of the following “essential
activities”:
relevant to Southeastern Outings events is:
OCTOBER 3, SATURDAY, Meet 9:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Bicycle Ride
Where: Horse Creek Trail, Dora and Sumiton, AL
Details: Join friendly folks on an easy approximately 7-mile bicycle ride on the Horse Creek Trail in Dora and Sumiton, in Walker County, sort of near Jasper, Alabama. The trail itself is about 3.5 miles long. Everyone will be bicycling one round trip on this outing.
Ride on one of Alabama’s rails-to-trails conversion routes on an old railroad right of way. This smooth trail is wide, level and paved. No hills on this trail. On this particular bike ride you will be bicycling on a scenic trail which goes through fields, near houses and through the woods.
The trail is nicely developed, with frequent covered benches. People you meet are both friendly and helpful.
No motorized vehicles are allowed on your trail! Note this is a relatively easy ride, one which should be lots of fun for everyone who enjoys bicycling. Please bring your bicycle water with you.
Jean’s on the River Restaurant near Cordova is currently closed. Therefore we will NOT be going to lunch following the October 3 bicycle ride on the Horse Creek Trail in Sumiton and Dora. We WILL offer an optional second round trip ride of 7 more miles on that trail following completion of the first 7-mile ride this coming Saturday.
Meet 9:45 a.m. just outside the left front door of the Wal-Mart in Sumiton, Alabama. We plan to depart from there at 10:00 a.m.
Info and Trip Leader: Dan Frederick, seoutings@bellsouth.net or 205/631-4680.
OCTOBER 4, SUNDAY, 2:00 p.m.
Southeastern Outings Sunday Dayhike
Where: Moss Rock Preserve
Details: Explore a section of this 350-acre forested park in Hoover on a moderately strenuous 2-3 hour hike with some climbing up and walking down hills on Shades Mountain. We’ll experience the preserve’s diverse natural features which include longleaf pine forests, huge boulders, streams, grassy areas, outstanding views and several beautiful streams and waterfalls which hopefully will be running bountifully when we are there. We recommend that you bring hiking poles with you on this hike if you have them.
Please bring water to drink. Well-behaved, properly supervised children age seven and up able to walk the distance and complete the hike without complaining are welcome.
Please meet 2:00 p.m. at the Moss Rock Preserve Boulderfield Dirt Parking Lot just off Preserve Parkway. We plan to depart from there promptly at 2:15 p.m.
Well-behaved, carefully supervised children age eight and over welcome.
Below is a link to the website for Moss Rock Preserve, where you can print a map of the trails in Moss Rock Preserve for use on this hike or on future hikes there on your own,
http://www.hooveral.org/219/Hiking-Map-Trail-Guide
Info: Scott Myers, 205/393-5230, email myers.scottv@gmail.com
OCTOBER 7, WEDNESDAY, Meet 8:30 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Weekday Hike
Red Mountain Park
Note: This weekday hike will be limited to 8 individuals unless there is a significant drop in COVID 19 cases in Jefferson County prior to the hike date. Participants are required to reserve a spot with Francis Rushton (ferushton@gmail.com) in advance. All participating will be required to bring a mask. Participants will be required to wear their masks when congregating together at the meeting place, although wearing the mask will not be required on the trail while maintaining six or more feet separation among hikers.
Details: This will be a moderately strenuous loop hike of about 4.5 miles in Red Mountain Park beginning at the Park’s Jones Valley parking lot on Venice Road on the north side of Red Mountain. We plan to use a combination of the trails numbered 12, 16 and 17 to loop up and down through beautiful hardwood forests, past mine ruins, down old railway rights of way and across mine tailings.
Would it excite you to hear that Birmingham has secured a recreational, public park space of 1,400+ acres—an area twice as large as New York's Central Park? Could you, your friends and family find a use for more than 18 miles of new hiking and biking trails, open fields and picnic areas, all within 15 minutes of downtown Birmingham?
In March, 2012 The Red Mountain Park Commission opened the eastern section of this park to the public, offering folks a chance to walk the property and get a feel for the location and scale of the land.
This will be Southeastern Outings’ twentieth hike in the Park. Please come with us for a 3-4 hour hike on a walkable portion of this noteworthy place. Hike rated moderately strenuous since it is a fairly long hike and there are some hills to climb. This is one of the largest city parks in the United States! For considerably more information about the park, please visit the park’s website:
http://www.redmountainpark.org.
Note-To view photos of what we have seen on previous hikes in this park, please click on these links:
AND
https://photos.app.goo.gl/iHZhmyZxtkweVtSZ2
AND
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Xe1PxeNqtJwPOzWU2
Please be sure to click on the links and view the photographs.
Please bring plenty of water to drink and wear comfortable footwear suitable for walking 4.5 miles. Dress appropriately for the weather. We expect to complete the hike about lunch time.
For those who would like to enjoy lunch with their fellow hikers, you may join the group for lunch at the Subway sandwich restaurant on Lakeshore Parkway on the drive back.
Please meet at 8:30 a.m. at the Jones Valley parking lot for Red Mountain Park, 2109 Venice Road, Birmingham, Alabama. We plan to depart from there at 8:45 a.m.
Reservations Required: You must contact Francis Rushton, ferushton@gmail.com to reserve a place for yourself on this hike.
Information: Francis Rushton, 205/290-5557 or email ferushton@gmail.com
OCTOBER 10, SATURDAY, Meet 6:45 p.m.
Southeastern Outings Evening Walk
Where: Hillsboro Trail, Helena, Shelby County, Alabama
Details: Join friendly folks on an easy four-mile evening walk on the Hillsboro Trail in Helena, Alabama. This smooth trail is wide, paved and with only a few short hills. On this particular walk you will be walking on a scenic trail which goes through mostly wooded terrain.
No motorized vehicles are allowed on your trail! All road crossings are through three tunnels under the roads. Note this is a relatively easy outing, one which 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.
After the walk we’ll enjoy going together for frozen yogurt at Yogurt Mountain in Hoover if Yogurt Mountain is open that evening.
Meet at 6:45 p.m. in the front parking lot at the Helena Middle School and depart from that location at 7:00 p.m. to begin the walk.
Info: Dan Frederick, seoutings@bellsouth.net or phone 205/631-4680
OCTOBER 11, SUNDAY, Meet 1:45 p.m.
Southeastern Outings Second Sunday Dayhike in Oak Mountain State Park
Details: Enjoy a moderate 4-mile walk in the woodlands near Birmingham on a Sunday afternoon. This is an excellent outing for introducing your friends to Southeastern Outings and for making new friends who enjoy the outdoors. Parts of this hike may be off the color-coded trails. There will be some ups and downs.
Well-behaved, properly supervised children age eight and up able to walk the distance of about 4 miles without complaining and complete the hike are welcome.
Share an adventure! Bring a friend.
Please meet at 1:45 p.m. in the Oak Mountain Park office parking lot. We plan to depart from there at 2:00 p.m.
Please bring $5/person ($2.00 seniors) park admission fee plus your drink.
Info: Randall Adkins, 205/317-6969
OCTOBER 17, SATURDAY, Meet 8:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Dayhike: Cahaba River Park in Western Shelby County north of Montevallo
Details: The Cahaba River is among the most scenic and biologically diverse waterways in the United States, and the public now has access to a portion of the river in Shelby County. Work is underway on the Cahaba River Park, a 1,500-acre site near the Bibb County line in western Shelby County. Please come with us for our second, moderately easy 5.2 mile-long hike in this newly created park.
Cahaba River Park will include two sectors: a larger sector on the north side of the river and a sector on the south side of the river that will allow for motorized access.
The river will split the park into two sites with different amenities. The north side, which is being called the Helena/Hoover Sector, includes most of the park’s acreage. The sector comprises 1,212 acres of Forever Wild property and 127 acres of county property. The south side of the river, which is being called the Boothton/Montevallo Sector, comprises 188 acres of Shelby County property.
Cahaba River Park is a Shelby County venture that is being developed in
conjunction with Forever Wild Land Trust, an initiative of the Alabama
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Improvements to Shelby County 251, or River Road on the north side of the Cahaba River, are now complete. The Park offers about 15 miles of professionally designed and constructed trails for mountain biking, hiking and trail running; multiple parking locations at trailheads; several canoe launch sites that will allow for short trips or runs as long as 7 miles; 3 sets of pavilions and restroom facilities; and a caretaker’s house for a law enforcement officer.
Our hike in the Helena/Hoover Sector on October 17 will include walking on the Wild Turkey, Reflection and Northern Pines Trails. The three trails offer a nice blend of forest and creek views. The Northern Pines Trail offers a good view of the area’s elevation.
Please bring your picnic lunch and water with you on the hike. Well-behaved, carefully supervised children age 7 and older able to walk five miles without complaining are welcome to participate in this trip.
Please meet at 8:45 a.m. in the parking lot behind the McDonald’s on U.S. Highway 31 at the Riverchase Galleria. We plan to depart from there at 9:00 a.m.
Admission to the park is free.
Information and Trip Leader: Jason Otis, 334-546-7648 or email jmotis@me.com
OCTOBER 24, SATURDAY, 8:15 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Dayhike
Where: Bucks Pocket State Park
Details: Bucks Pocket State Park has one of the greatest concentrations and variety of wildflowers of any public area in the State of Alabama. Join fellow nature lovers for a walk on trails in this very scenic park. We may have a wildflower resource guide knowledgeable in wildflower identification to hike with us on this outing.
In the morning we’ll first drive to visit High Falls. This is a spectacular, large volume waterfall. We’ll have our picnic lunch at High Falls Park. Then we’ll drive a short distance to Bucks Pocket State Park for an easy stroll on trails in this very scenic park. We’ll start at the overlook and walk slowly down to the canyon floor. Along the way we’ll stop by and view two lovely waterfalls. After that part of the hike in Bucks Pocket State Park, we’ll cross the creek and see even more wildflowers as we walk on a trail through the woods heading upstream beside the creek to a third waterfall.
Total walking distance in Bucks Pocket State Park is about 5 miles. Hike rated moderate. Well-behaved, properly supervised children age 7 and up able to walk five miles without complaining welcome.
After the outing we’ll enjoy an optional delicious restaurant dinner together in Guntersville.
Please meet at 8:15 a.m. at the Food Giant parking lot in Pinson. We plan to depart from there at 8:30 a.m.
Info. and trip leader: Dan Frederick, seoutings@bellsouth.net or phone 205/631-4680
OCTOBER 31, SATURDAY, Meet 9:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Hike
Where: Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve
Details: Join SEO for a moderate, approximately four-mile, big loop hike on the lovely, well-maintained trails in the 1000+-acre Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve, one of the largest in-city nature preserves in the country.
We’ll see remnants of old iron ore mining operations which took place on the mountain. We’ll stop by and visit three old iron ore crushers, stop by the entrances to three, different types of iron ore mines, walk around the new wetlands area, see a real artesian well which still emits copious amounts of water, and view foundations for ore car hoists and various water tanks.
This trip will involve some elevation gain hiking between the lower sections of the park to the top of Ruffner Mountain.
Well-behaved, properly supervised children age 7 and up able to walk five miles without complaining welcome.
Please bring your picnic lunch and drinking water with you.
Meet 9:45 a.m. at the Ruffner Mountain Nature Center Pavilion. We plan to depart from there at 10:00 a.m.
Info: David Shepherd, davidshep2@yahoo.com or 205/240-4681
