FEBRUARY 3, WEDNESDAY, Meet 10:00 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Weekday Hike
Where: Cosby Lake Trail, Clay, Alabama
Details: Cosby Lake Park in Clay, Alabama is a delightful place to walk among the headwaters of Turkey Creek. We will loop around the lake on three trails: the Lake Trail, the Girls School Trail and the Falls Trail. As the loop is only about 2 miles long, many of us will do the circuit twice. Near the beginning of the loop there are 3 short uphill sections that will get our temperature and heart rate up, but the rest of the circuit is flat. Expect to see wetlands, mountainside hardwood forests and pine forest below the lake.
Please bring your picnic lunch and drink with you. There is no charge for admission to the park.
Meet 10:00 a.m. at the Cosby Lake second parking lot next to the restrooms. We plan to depart from there at 10:15 a.m.
Information and Trip Leader: Francis Rushton,
205-290-5557 home,
843-441- 3368 cell.
FEBRUARY 6, SATURDAY, Meet 8:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings dayhike to view multiple waterfalls in the Bankhead National Forest
Details: This hike offers one of the best kept secrets of the Bankhead National Forest, its magnificent waterfalls.
This is a trip you won’t want to miss! The waterfalls of the Bankhead National Forest never disappoint. See several spectacular waterfalls during the high water season in Alabama. We will do three short hikes off trail and deep in the forest to gorgeous waterfalls with turquoise water that only a few people ever have the opportunity to see. High falls, cascading falls, split falls, and views of more than one waterfall at a time. The first falls will be Holmes Chapel Falls, second will be Coal Mine Falls, and thirdly we will be walking down to and along Key Mill Branch where the falls have no formal names.
You are encouraged to participate in the Southeastern Outings’ group hike in this National Forest. Come with us for a guided tour to get a feel for the beauty of these waterfalls.
Please note that there are over 100 waterfalls in the Bankhead National Forest. Southeastern Outings has visited the waterfalls we’ll see on February 6 only one time previously This hike is for experienced hikers (off trail means thru the woods stepping over deadfall and climbing up and down and crossing creeks etc.). Our hike leader has extensive experience hiking in the National Forest and has picked these fairly accessible waterfalls as some of the prettiest. Excellent photo opportunities. Please bring your camera if you wish. Also, please wear hiking boots. Bring a hiking stick, lunch, and water.
Optional dinner after the hike.
Please meet 8:45 a.m. at the Hayden/Corner Park and Ride. We plan to depart from there at 9:00 a.m. Or you may meet the group at 9:45 a.m. at the Jack’s on U.S. Highway 278 in Addison, Alabama.
Info. and Trip Leader: Doris Hatch, 205/901-8367
Postponed to Feb 27
FEBRUARY 13, SATURDAY
Southeastern Outings Dayhike, Sipsey Wilderness, Bankhead National Forest
Details: Moderately strenuous 4-mile hike in a highly scenic location, Upper Quillan Creek Forest Area. Most of the hike is off trail, there are lots of ups and downs, and several rock-hopping crossings are required across small creeks.
We’ll walk along two creeks and on an old road. At a beautiful waterfall we’ll visit the site of an old mill. On this hike we’ll see several small waterfalls on side creeks and tributaries to Quillan Creek. We will visit at least three very pretty waterfalls on Quillan Creek itself along the way.
Please bring picnic lunch and water for the day. We expect to finish about 4:00 p.m. Optional dinner after. Well-behaved, properly supervised children age 9 and over able to walk 4 miles off trail without complaining welcome.
Reservations Required: If you wish to participate in this outing, you are required to call Dan Frederick, 205/631-4680 or email your reservation to seoutings@bellsouth.net by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 11. When you contact Dan, please be sure you leave either your phone number or email address. This outing is limited to 20 people, and we will break up into two separate groups of up to ten people each with its own separate leader in order to comply with U.S. Forest Service regulations. We hope the limitation will not prove to be a problem.
If you make a reservation with Dan to come on this trip and then for any reason decide later to not come on this outing, please telephone Dan, 205/631-4680 right away. If we have 20 people signed up on the day of the hike and, say, we have two people on the waiting list and then two people who signed up don’t show up for the hike, those two no-show people have in effect deprived the two on the waiting list from participating. Please don’t be a no-show. If you aren’t coming after making a reservation, please notify Dan.
At a later date leader will advise meeting time and place only to those who have signed up for this trip.
Info: Dan Frederick, seoutings@bellsouth.net, or 205/631-4680
FEBRUARY 14, SUNDAY, Meet 12:45 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 12:45 p.m. in the Oak Mountain Park office parking lot. We plan to depart from there at 1:00 p.m.
Please bring $5/person ($2.00 seniors) park admission fee plus your drink.
Info. and Trip Leader: Randall Adkins, 205/317-6969
Postponed till Feb 25th
FEBRUARY 18, THURSDAY, Meet 9:15 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Weekday Hike in Tannehill State Park
Details: Come with us on our weekday hike. Enjoy an easy 3 or so-mile hike on trails in an especially lovely Alabama Historical State Park. The site is very near Birmingham!
The walking pace for this hike will be moderately easy. We’ll stop often to catch our breath and note views, trees, birdsongs and the trail and woods around us.
Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park has more than 1,500 acres in three counties set aside for hiking, camping and outdoor recreation. A miniature railroad chugs through the pines. From spring through fall, the blacksmith, miller and craftsmen demonstrate their trades. Craft shops occupy restored pioneer cabins and artisans chat with visitors from their front porches. Steeped in history, Tannehill feels timeless. The cotton gin, pioneer farm and working gristmill preserve a long-gone way of life. Hiking trails retrace historic roadways. Artifacts of Alabama’s 19th century iron industry displayed in the Iron and Steel Museum put in perspective the massive stone furnaces, Tannehill’s awe-inspiring centerpiece.
The same ingredients afford today’s visitors a pleasurable escape from modern life.
If you are retired or not working on this particular Thursday, you are urged to participate in the Southeastern Outings’ group hike on the trails and get a feel for the location and scale of the land.
This walk will be Southeastern Outings’ fifth hike in Tannehill Historical State Park. Come with us for a guided tour of easily walkable trails. Please bring a picnic lunch, water and wear good walking shoes or boots. Dress appropriately for the weather.
Please meet 9:15 a.m. at the parking lot behind the McDonald’s Galleria on U.S. Highway 31 in Hoover. We plan to depart from there at 9:30 a.m.
Day-Use Park Admission: $5 Adults (12 years and older); $4 Seniors (Ages 62 and older); $3 Children (Ages 6-11); ages 5 and under free
Information and Hike Leader: Christine Heckemeyer, 205-979-5730
FEBRUARY 20, SATURDAY, Meet 10:15 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Dayhike, Smith Mountain Fire Tower Area near Lake Martin
Details: The Smith Mountain Alpine Trail at Lake Martin is some twenty miles north of the Cherokee Ridge Alpine Trail. The highest elevation around Lake Martin, Smith Mountain is a jagged peak mountain in the Sandy Creek area of the lake. The top of Smith Mountain is rugged. Jagged rock formations dissect the mountain top into a series of rough terraces that are for the most part disconnected. A house-sized crag consisting of numerous boulders stands out from and above the rest of the peak.
Standing majestically atop Smith Mountain is the historic 90-foot fire lookout tower. Erected in 1939 as a cooperative agreement between Alabama Power Company, Tallapoosa County Forest Conservation Association, and the Alabama Forestry Commission, the tower was a sentinel for locating forest fires for 40 years.
In November 2010, Smith Mountain was deeded to the Cherokee Ridge Alpine Trail Association (CRATA). Over a recent period of 18 months the tower has been restored and upgraded with new safety features and is now open to the public. Visiting time is daylight until 30 minutes after sunset, daily.
A trail begins at the base of Smith Mountain and ascends the northern and western slope for about 0.4 mile. The trail descends the southern and eastern slope of the mountain for about 0.6 mile back to the parking lot. The view from the tower is spectacular. In addition to the Smith Mountain Fire Lookout Tower, there are 5 miles of hiking trails. The two main trails are the Lake Shore Trail and the Little Smith Mountain Trail. The Island Hop Trail is accessible only during winter months when the lake is down. The Lake Shore Trail is a two-mile trail that descends the western slope to the lake shore and follows the shoreline for most of the two miles. There is also the dramatic two-mile Little Smith Mountain Trail which has four resting benches with some spectacular views - one bench on a peninsula, two on the south face, and one on the top.
Your hike leader has selected a scenic 3-6-mile moderate hiking route for you to enjoy from this wide choice of trails.
Well-behaved, properly supervised children age 8 and over welcome. Optional dinner in Alexander City after the hike.
Please meet at 10:15 a.m. at the Publix in The Village at Lee Branch in Greystone. We plan to depart from there at 10:30 a.m.
Info. and Trip Leader: Doris Hatch, 205/901-8367
Replaced with Hike Previously Scheduled for Feb 13.
FEBRUARY 27, SATURDAY, Meet 9:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Dayhike
Where: Piper Interpretive Trail and another trail in the Cahaba National Wildlife Refuge, Piper (near West Blocton), Alabama
Details: The Piper Interpretive Trail is a 2.8-mile, lightly trafficked trail in the Cahaba National Wildlife Refuge located near Piper, Alabama. The trail features excellent views of the river and is good for all skill levels. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and bird watching and is accessible year-round.
This well-maintained trail goes through the forest and ends with two decks overlooking the Cahaba River. The trail passes some interesting ravines and cliffs. If you continue onward after the first overlook, you will reach a second overlook, which is slightly more difficult to reach, due to elevation changes. The first half of the trail is an old mine railroad right of way along a rocky ridgeline high above the Cahaba River. A stand of pine, mostly loblolly planted to replace the longleaf pines that were clearcut years ago, make for a beautiful canopy and visually appealing section of the trail—the fallen needles provide soft footing and make the peaceful forest even more quiet. There are scenic overlooks of the river and an opportunity to climb down to the riverside if you're ambitious. At mile 1.2, you will find a side trail off to the right that leads steeply downhill to the first overlook. After enjoying the view, you will cross a second bridge over a seasonal stream. From there the trail climbs up the ridge on a rocky old mining road to the final overlook. From the platform you can see the Cahaba River far below. We will also walk on some newer trails which turn off of the road in the part of Cahaba National Wildlife Refuge across the river from the Piper Trail. Children age 9 and older welcome.
Meet 9:45 a.m. at the McDonald’s Galleria parking lot. We plan to depart from there at 10:00 a.m.
Info. and Trip Leader: Dan Frederick, email seoutings@bellsouth.net, phone 205/631-4680
