JULY 8, SATURDAY, Meet 8:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Short Dayhike and Glorious Swim at the bottom of the 102-foot-high DeSoto Falls in DeSoto State Park
https://photos.app.goo.gl/dipvsmHzklJdXGXB3
Details: Walk through the woods and down a steep hill in DeSoto State Park to the huge pool which many of you have seen from above when at the overlook above DeSoto Falls. We’ll be swimming and playing for most of the day in this pool at the bottom of the waterfall which is in the West Fork of Little River.
Note-To view photos of what we will see on this trip, please click on this link:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/dipvsmHzklJdXGXB3
Please be sure to click on the link and view the photographs.
We are pleased to announce that DeSoto State Park has recently constructed a new trail which extends from the road going to the top of DeSoto Falls all the way down to the opposite side of pool at the bottom of the falls from where the previous trail leads. This new trail is considerably easier and much less treacherous than the trail we used to take there every time we did this trip in past years.
The new trail is 7/10 of a mile long one way. The first half goes down a fairly steep hill. The second half parallels the West Fork of Little River and is more or less level. The State Park Service rates this new trail as moderate to strenuous. I would rate it moderately strenuous. The surface is rocky, but the trail is open, and there is no underbrush and there are no vertical cliffs to negotiate.
That being said, it is highly recommended that anyone intending to come on this outing with us bring TWO sturdy hiking poles in order to wade safely across the West Fork of Little River (about 15 feet wide) from the side where the new trail is located over to the opposite side of the river where the sand and gravel beach is. We will spend most of the day floating on the water in the huge pool at the bottom of the waterfall and on that beach where we will eat our lunches.
You must be able to swim to participate in this outing! Well-behaved, properly supervised children age 8 and up welcome, but parents are responsible for all risks to their children.
Participants on this hike must: be able and willing to wear hiking boots or sturdy overland shoes to hike to and from the water’s edge and bring and wear shorts or swim suits and water shoes to wade the river and for the swim. Sturdy foot protection is required all day. Old sneakers work fine for the in-water activities, but please no bare feet, flimsy beach shoes, flip flops or loose slip-ons for the swim! Please don’t come if you are unwilling to get wet! Also please do bring a large plastic bag with twist tie or large Ziploc bag in which to put your wet shoes and also bring a hand towel to dry your feet before putting your socks and hiking boots back on for the walk out.
Please bring water, swimsuit, and any kind of a flotation device you wish. See float note below for information about flotation devices.
Also please bring a picnic lunch with you from home. Please do not make 20-30 people wait while you take time to buy lunch or have your lunch prepared after you arrive at the meeting place at 8:45 a.m.
You are required to carry your flotation devices deflated for the walk in and out from the pool. Dan Frederick will bring a float pump to pump up floats at the edge of the pool when we get there and deflate the floats before we hike back up the hill.
After our swim and float, we’ll walk 7/10 of a mile back to the cars and then for those who would like, they may go for showers and an optional dinner. Hot showers are available for $2.00 per person in the air-conditioned bathrooms at the park campground before dinner. Please bring shower things and a change of clothes if you wish to clean up and change for dinner. If you would like to shower and change clothes and then drive straight home without going to dinner with the group, you may do so. Also if you want to just change into dry clothes with no shower and then drive directly home, you may change with no charge in the restrooms by the Country Store in DeSoto State Park.
Please meet 8:45 a.m. at the Applebee’s Restaurant Trussville. We plan to depart from there at 9:00 a.m., or you may meet the group at 10:30 a.m. in the lobby of the DeSoto Park Lodge where we will stop to use the restrooms before we begin the short drive from there to the start point of our walk. Please email me at southeasternoutings@gmail.com if you would like meet the group at the park lodge.
Info: Dan Frederick, email southeasternoutings@gmail.com or phone 205/631-4680
River Float Note
Substantial, fabric-covered, inflatable, vinyl, rectangular floats like you use to ride the waves at the Gulf work best. Finally, now after six years, trip leader Dan Frederick has 72-inch-long floats for sale for $23 each. He also has 60-inch-long inflatable floats for sale for $15 each. These floats are available ONLY at the start of the river floats. Please pay either with exact change or a check made out to SEO. First come, first served.
Dan will provide hand float pumps to pump up your float at the start point of the river float.
JULY 15, SATURDAY, Meet 9:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Kayak/Canoe Trip, Tallapoosa River at Heflin, Alabama
Details: The section we will paddle is relatively easy. 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. Novice canoeists are welcome and may come on this trip, but each one must be partnered with an experienced canoeist in their boat.
The trip length is about 7 miles long. There are two relatively easy class I rapids on this stretch.
Please note that for this trip you may rent one or two-person sit-upon plastic kayaks at the take out from Tallapoosa River RV and Outdoor Center.
Here is the schedule of outfitter charges:
1. solo sit upon kayaks each $30
2. tandem (two-person) sit upon kayaks each $50
3. shuttle fee per owned boat $10
Boat rental fees include paddles, 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 rent a boat from this outfitter, the outfitter will shuttle you and your rented boat to the put in so you will never need to transport your rented boat at all. You may bring your own canoe or kayak on this trip, but you must pay the outfitter to shuttle your privately-owned boat.
If you wish to rent a boat from this outfitter, please call Dan Frederick, 205/631-4680. Dan will relay your reservation on to the outfitter. Please note that the outfitter has only 40 one-person sit-upon kayaks and 10 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 15, there will be no more boats of that type available to rent!
This outfitter does not have canoes to rent. However, Dan Frederick’s daughter, Aree, has a few canoes which she may offer to rent for $50 per canoe to people who want to canoe on this trip and who do not have their own canoes. Again, please notify Dan Frederick, southeasternoutings@gmail.com or phone 205/631-4680 BEFORE July 15 to request a rental canoe if that is what you want. We will do our best to fulfill your request. If you rent a canoe from Aree Frederick, Southeastern Outings will pay your canoe shuttle fee.
When we arrive at the outfitter’s, you will sign a waiver, pay your shuttle or boat rental fee, use the restroom, and then the outfitter will transport all of us and our boats upriver to the put in. We will then paddle down the creek to the take out where our cars are at the outfitter’s, stopping as often as we want to.
For more general information please see note for canoe trips below.
After the canoe and kayak trip we are planning to go to a restaurant on the way back for dinner. Showers are available at the outfitter’s place. 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.
Please meet 9:45 a.m. at the Leeds Highway 78 gravel parking lot. We plan to depart from there at 10:00 a.m. 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.
Reservations Required: You must contact trip leader Dan Frederick, southeasternoutings@gmail.com 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. Please do not just show up for this outing without making advance reservations!
Information and Trip Leader: If you have further questions or would like additional information, please contact Dan Frederick, 205/631-4680 or email southeasternoutings@gmail.com.
Note for Kayak and Canoe Trips
Life jackets or personal flotation devices 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 a kayak or canoe from the outfitters listed above.
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.
JULY 22, SATURDAY, Meet 8:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Waterfall Walk, Stream Wade and Long Swims
Where: South Caney Creek in the Bankhead National Forest
Click for More Pictures
Details: Join us for hikes to two beautiful waterfalls on South Caney Creek. We’ll swim at both of the falls. These falls are exceptionally lovely. We’ll walk through the woods to one waterfall, stop, have lunch overlooking the waterfall and swim there and get underneath the waterfall if you wish. Then we’ll wade for about a mile IN the creek to a second, larger waterfall where we’ll swim and stand under the waterfall again if you like. Then we’ll walk from that second waterfall through the woods back to the cars.
You are assured of staying cool when you swim in the two stream pools, stand or lie down under one or both of the waterfalls and wade in South Caney Creek! Twenty-two people participated in this very popular outing in July, 2017.
This outing is rated moderately strenuous because the walks through the woods from the cars to the first waterfall we’ll see and from the second waterfall back to the cars are off trail through the woods in some sections and there are some short, steep hills to climb up and go down along the way.
If you think that you may want to come home before this group outing is completed, please don’t come on this outing. In order to prevent traffic congestion at the usual public trail head, our vehicles will be parked at a remote location during the entire outing. Outing participants will probably not be able to walk unguided back to their cars before the outing is completed. The walk through the woods portion is partially off trail.
For the hikes through the woods we recommend that you wear long pants. This will reduce your contact with ticks and chiggers and prevent your legs from being scratched. You may wear hiking boots or sturdy water or wading shoes for the in-woods walks. We strongly recommend that you bring two sturdy hiking poles for wading in the creek. Using poles as you walk in the stream will substantially reduce the chance of your falling!
For the creek wade portion of this trip please wear old shorts or a swim suit and sturdy footwear you don’t mind getting wet and dirty. Old sneakers work well. Bare feet, flip-flops, loose slip-ons and thin-soled “beach shoes” are not acceptable! Also bring a towel along with your picnic lunch and water.
After the outing we are planning to go to a restaurant for an optional dinner. If you would like to have dinner with us at the restaurant and if you would like to wash up and change clothes for dinner, we suggest that you bring soap, a washcloth, towel and a complete change of clothes with you to be kept in the car during the hike. After the outing is completed, you can wash up and change clothes in the spacious restrooms at the restaurant in Double Springs.
Well-behaved, properly-supervised children age 7 and over welcome. Please meet 8:45 a.m. at the Floor and Décor Store on Green Springs Highway in Homewood. We plan to depart from there at 9:00 a.m. or you may meet the group at 10:30 a.m. at Jacks in Double Springs.
Info: Dan Frederick, southeasternoutings@gmail.com or 205/631-4680
JULY 29, SATURDAY, Meet 9:15 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Easy River Float
Where: Locust Fork River from near River Road to the Mount Olive Road Bridge
Details: Easy river float on the Locust Fork River. Float in the river about 3.8 miles downstream to the new Mount Olive Road Bridge possibly stopping at river beaches along the way. Bring something to float on such as an inflatable vinyl float or tube. See float note below for information about flotation devices.
Also please bring a picnic lunch with you from home or pick your lunch up BEFORE you arrive at the meeting place. Please do not make lots of people wait while you take time to buy lunch or have your lunch prepared after you arrive at the meeting place at 9:15 a.m. Also please bring your 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 tie your pack to your float. 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 at a convenient stopping place along the river. Have fun swimming in the pools in the river along the way. We will walk for about 15-20 minutes through the woods to get from River Road to the start point of our float. We will provide a shuttle for drivers from the end point back to the start point before we start paddling. 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 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. 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.
Please bring a friend or several if you wish. Please meet at the Wal-Mart Gardendale parking lot no later than 9:15 a.m. ready to depart promptly at 9:30 a.m. Arriving 15 minutes before departure time will allow time to use the restrooms in the Wal-Mart, purchase a float from Southeastern Outings if you want to buy one, hear announcements concerning the day’s event, and form carpools from the Wal-Mart.
Please note that reservations are NOT requested or required for this event!
Info: Dan Frederick, email southeasternoutings@gmail.com or phone 205/631-4680
River Float Note
Substantial, fabric-covered, inflatable, vinyl, rectangular floats like you use to ride the waves at the Gulf of Mexico work best. Trip leader Dan Frederick now has for sale 72-inch floats for $23 each and 60-inch floats for children for $15 each at the start of each of our river floats. Please pay either with exact change or a check made out to SEO. First come, first served.
Dan will provide hand float pumps to pump up your float at the start point of the river float.
