AUGUST 13, SATURDAY, Meet 10:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Tube Float
Where: On the Cahaba River from the south bank of the Cahaba River in Cahaba River Park near Helena to Living River, the Presbyterian Church Camp on the Cahaba River
Details: Join friendly folks on a relaxing, lazy, summer day tube float. Everyone is cordially invited on this real fun event. The float will be on the Cahaba River near Helena and Pea Ridge, Alabama.
The Cahaba River itself – the longest free-flowing river in Alabama – preserves a remarkable and fragile biodiversity, including an incredible variety of freshwater mussels, turtles, snails, and crayfish, as well as more fish species per mile than any other river in North America. The globally significant biodiversity of the Cahaba has been widely recognized by conservation groups and scientists.
Distance tubing on the river is about 3 miles.
We will eat our picnic lunches by the river when we arrive at the put in point. Then we will pump up the tubes with car-connected, electric float pumps at the start point of the trip. We’ll run a car shuttle taking most of the cars to the take out point, and then one or two cars will bring the drivers back to the put in. The put in is immediately adjacent to the parking lot so you will carry your tube only a short distance to the edge of the river. You will not need to hike through the woods carrying an inflated tube at all. Then we will float on the river for about two to three hours.
Please bring picnic lunch, drink, sunscreen, towel and dry clothes in the car to change into for the ride back home. For the tube float itself wear old shorts or a swim suit and substantial, snug fitting footwear you don't mind getting wet and dirty. Old sneakers usually work well. Bare feet, flip-flops, slip-ons and thin-soled “beach shoes” are not acceptable!
Dan’s daughter, Aree Frederick, has about 23 tubes to rent for $10 each. If you intend to rent a tube, please bring $10.00 exact amount. For this particular tube float you may bring your own tube if you like since we will not be using a commercial tubing outfitter.
You are welcome to bring your family and friends with you. Well-behaved, properly supervised children age 7 and older able to handle themselves in a tube for two to three hours on moving water are welcome and encouraged to come. Parents are advised of risks of wading and swimming in sometimes deep water, and parents are responsible for all risks to their children.
Here are some special points to note regarding this outing.
You must be able to swim to participate in this outing.
Reservations are required. You must email seoutings@bellsouth.net or call Dan Frederick, 205/631-4680 to make your reservation by Thursday, August 11 if you plan to come on this outing. Please advise your name and telephone number and whether you wish to rent a tube or are bringing your own tube. We are requiring reservations for this outing so that we can avoid having more people wanting to rent tubes than the number of tubes we have available. You may leave a message on Dan’s answering machine or voice mail if you wish. 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”.
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!!
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 (like at the put in point) other than the meeting place specified in this announcement, please notify Dan in advance and directly of this fact.
Please meet at the McDonald’s Galleria parking lot no later than 10:45 a.m. We plan to depart from there promptly at 11:00 a.m. Arriving 15 minutes before departure time will allow time to use the restrooms at the McDonald’s, hear announcements concerning the day’s event, and form carpools from the parking lot. If you are not at the meeting place at the designated departure time, you will be on your own at the tube float. Please be on time ready to go at the meeting place!
Info. and trip leader: Dan Frederick, 205/631-4680 or seoutings@bellsouth.net
AUGUST 20, SATURDAY, Meet 9:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Kayak and Canoe Outing, Big Wills Creek near Gadsden, Alabama.
Details: This will be Southeastern Outings’ thirteenth kayak and canoe 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 and one or two-person (tandem) sit-upon plastic kayaks and paddles from Big Wills Outfitters.
Here is the schedule of outfitter charges:
1. solo kayaks each $30
2. canoes and tandem kayaks $50 each
3. shuttle fee per boat for owned rather than rented boats $10
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 Saturday, August 20 at 256/538-3226 to reserve your boat. Tell the outfitter you are boating with Southeastern Outings. Please note that the outfitter has only 5 canoes and 57 one-person sit-upon kayaks and 5 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 August 20, 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 area 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 hopefully planning to go to a restaurant in Gadsden for dinner. Our going to dinner depends on what time we finish boating. 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.
If you want to come on the August 20 kayak and canoe trip AND you are renting a boat from the outfitter at the site of the trip, you are required in this instance to call the BOTH the outfitter to reserve your boat AND ALSO contact Dan Frederick to notify him that you are coming! Please do not just show up for this outing at the meeting place without making advance reservations! Please meet 9:45 a.m. at the Applebee’s in Trussville. We plan to depart from there at 10:00 a.m.
Info. and trip leader: If you have questions or would like additional information about this outing, please call or email Dan Frederick, seoutings@bellsouth.net or 205/631-4680.
