October Activities 2023

OCTOBER 7, SATURDAY, Meet 10:45 a.m.

Southeastern Outings Dayhike, Richard Martin Trail (previously named Limestone Rail Trail), Elkmont, Alabama

Details: This trail is located in extreme North Alabama just to the west of I-65 and a few miles south of the Tennessee-Alabama border.  The hike is rated easy.  We will hike a total of 5.3 miles.  There is much lovely scenery along the path that was once a part of the Tennessee and Alabama Central Railroad. 

Walk on one of Alabama’s rails-to-trails conversion routes on an old railroad right of way.  This smooth trail is wide and level.  No hills on this trail.  On this particular hike you will be walking on a scenic trail which goes through fields, near houses and through the woods.  The trail winds through wetlands with wildlife and a great variety of birds.  On the trail you will pass the site of the Civil War Battle of Sulphur Creek Trestle.   

Please bring your picnic lunch and drink with you.

Well-behaved, carefully supervised children age 8 and over able to walk 6 miles without complaining are welcome.

Absolutely delicious optional dinner afterwards at Terranova’s Restaurant in Athens, Alabama.                         

Please meet 10:45 a.m. at the Hayden/Corner Park and Ride.  We plan to depart from there at 11:00 a.m.

Info. and Trip Leader: Dan Frederick, southeasternoutings@gmail.com ,  phone 205-631-4680

 

OCTOBER 8, SUNDAY, Meet 1:45 p.m.

Southeastern Outings Second Sunday Dayhike in Oak Mountain State Park

Details: Enjoy a moderate 4 to 5-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. and Trip Leader: Randall Adkins, 205/317-6969

 

OCTOBER 12, THURSDAY, Meet 9:45 a.m.

Southeastern Outings Leisurely Weekday Hike

Where:  Veterans Park, 4800 Valleydale Road, Hoover, AL 35242

Details: Come with us on a weekday hike.  Enjoy an easy 3-mile hike on trails in North Shelby County just off Valleydale Road.  Veterans Park is an 82-acre park with numerous walking trails, a four-acre lake and a one-acre pond. 

        If you are retired or not working or have off 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. 

The hike is about three miles.  The walking pace for this hike will be moderately easy.  We’ll stop often to catch our breath and note views, trees, birdsongs, the trail and woods around us.  Happy hiking!

This walk will be Southeastern Outings’ ninth hike in Veterans Park.  Come with us for a guided tour of easily walkable trails.  Please bring water and wear good walking shoes or boots. Dress appropriately for the weather.

Please meet at 9:45 a.m. in the Veterans Park parking lot right beside the building with restrooms in it at the park.  We plan to depart from there at 10:00 a.m.

Optional lunch nearby after the hike at Metro Diner Restaurant in Inverness.

Admission to Park: Free

Information and hike leader: Randall Adkins, 205/317-6969 cell

 

OCTOBER 14, SATURDAY, Meet 8:45 a.m.

Southeastern Outings Hike

Where: Shoal Creek Park, Montevallo, Alabama

Details: A pleasant 5-mile hike through fields and woods on a well-developed loop of trails through Montevallo's newest city park.

Southeastern Outings has planned an easy, approximately 5-mile hike in the new Shoal Creek Park in Montevallo.  On October 30, 2018, ten people participated in an SEO scouting trip there led by Shane Baugh, the Montevallo Parks and Recreation Director, and we were delighted at what we found.  We subsequently had highly successful hikes there for the entire group on December 22, 2018, March 9, 2019, May 14, 2020, November 21, 2020, March 17, 2021, December 8, 2021 and November 12, 2022.

This 167-acre park has nine miles of trails already constructed and some less developed trails which we will also hike.  One trail does follow Shoal Creek for some distance. 

The park is located on both sides of Shoal Creek about 2 miles upstream from Orr Park where we have begun our past hikes on the Montevallo Parks Trail.

The restrooms and picnic pavilion in the park are now completely constructed and open for your use.

The park is located 1.1 miles south of American Village on AL Highway 119 in Montevallo.

Please bring your picnic lunch, water, and a hiking pole or two with you. 

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 Hike Leader: To be announced

 

OCTOBER 18, WEDNESDAY, Meet 9:45 a.m.

Southeastern Outings Weekday Hike

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, 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. 

Please meet 9:45 a.m. at the Moss Rock Preserve Parking Lot on Patton Chapel Road. We plan to depart from there promptly at 10:00 a.m.

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

 

Information and Trip Leader:  David Shepherd, 205/240-4681

 

OCTOBER 21, 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 fifth, moderately easy 3 to 5 mile-long hike in this newly created park.  

Cahaba River Park includes two sectors: a larger sector on the north side of the river and a sector on the south side of the river that allows for motorized access.

            The river splits the park into two sites with different amenities.  The north side, which is 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 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; 2 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 15 may include walking on several trails.  The park’s trails offer a nice blend of forest, river and creek views including 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 up to 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: Tim Vann, telephone 205-515-8566, email tvann25@hotmail.com

 

OCTOBER 28, SATURDAY, Meet 8:45 a.m.

Southeastern Outings Dayhike

Where: Chief Ladiga Trail, Piedmont, Alabama

Details: Join friendly folks on an easy 3.5-mile dayhike and picnic on the Chief Ladiga Trail east of Piedmont, Alabama.  Walk on Alabama’s first extended rails-to-trails conversion route on an old railroad right of way.  This smooth trail is wide and level.  Absolutely no hills—guaranteed!  On this particular hike you will be walking on the most scenic section of the trail.  This paved part goes through mostly wooded terrain.

No motorized vehicles are allowed on your trail!  Note this is a relatively easy outing, one which should be lots of fun for everyone.  Well-behaved, carefully supervised children age eight and up able to walk seven miles without complaining are welcome on this walk.

Please bring a picnic lunch and drink.  From the trail you can see Dugger Mountain, one of the newest national wilderness areas in Alabama.

        There will be an optional restaurant dinner after the hike.  You will have an opportunity to wash up and change clothes in the Eubanks Welcome Center restrooms after the hike.  If you’d like to clean up and/or change clothes, please bring your soap and towel and/or change of clothes with you. 

Please meet 8:45 a.m. at the Applebee’s Restaurant in Trussville.  We plan to depart from there at 9:00 a.m. or meet 10:20 a.m. at the Eubanks Welcome Center on the Chief Ladiga Trail in Piedmont.

Trip Leader and Info: Sean Boogaard, 256/365-6321.

 

OCTOBER 28, SATURDAY, Meet 8:45 a.m.

Southeastern Outings 10.6-Mile Bicycle Ride

Where: Chief Ladiga Trail, Piedmont, Alabama

Details: Join friendly folks for a 10.6-mile bicycle ride on the Chief Ladiga Trail in the Piedmont, Alabama area.  Ride on Alabama’s first extended rails-to-trails conversion route on an old railroad right of way.  The trail we’ll be riding on is smooth, 8-10 feet wide and even paved.  There are no hills on this trail.  The trail is suitable for road bikes plus mountain, hybrid and urban bicycles.  Ride through towns, fields and picturesque woodlands.  No motorized vehicles are allowed on your trail!        

Bicycle helmets are required and must be worn.  Please bring a picnic lunch and drink.

        The pace of this bicycle ride will be leisurely.  From time to time we will stop bicycling just to enjoy the scenery and views from the four bridges over the creeks.  However, please note that this ride is 10.6 miles long.  We recommend that participants intending to come on this outing have bicycled at least a few times during the 30 days prior to October 22.   In order to be assured that you can ride comfortably on this trip you should probably be able to ride at an average speed of 8-12 miles per hour on level terrain.

There will be an optional restaurant dinner after the bicycle ride.  You will have an opportunity to wash up and change clothes in the Eubanks Welcome Center restrooms after the bicycle ride.  If you’d like to clean up and/or change clothes, please bring your soap and towel and/or change of clothes with you. 

Please meet 8:45 a.m. at the Applebee’s Restaurant in Trussville.  We plan to depart from there at 9:00 a.m. or meet 10:20 a.m. at the Eubanks Welcome Center on the Chief Ladiga Trail in Piedmont.

Reservations Required: If you want to come on this bicycle ride, please make a reservation with Dan Frederick, email southeasternoutings@gmail.com or phone

205-631-4680.  Also, if you have a bike rack which can hold more than one bicycle, please bring it with you to Piedmont in order to facilitate the required car shuttle and advise Dan that you are doing so.  We probably need to leave about two vehicles at the Eubanks Welcome Center in order to transport the drivers of all the remaining vehicles from the end point of the ride back to the start point to pick up their vehicles after the ride is concluded.

Information and Ride Leader: Dan Frederick, 205/631-4680, email southeasternoutings@gmail.com

 

August Activities 2023

 AUGUST 12, SATURDAY, please meet 8:45 a.m.

Southeastern Outings Kayak and Canoe Trip, Flint River near Brownsboro, Alabama 

Details: This will be Southeastern Outings’ third group trip on the Flint River. 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. 

Novice canoeists are welcome and may come on this trip, but each novice canoeist must be partnered with an experienced canoeist in their canoe. 

The outfitter, TGL Adventures, has for rent 1 tandem canoe, 20 new one-person sit-upon kayaks, 5 tandem kayaks and 6 sit in solo kayaks.

We thank SEO member Wendy Plash for observing the signs for this outfitter while she was kayaking on the Flint River and then referring us to TGL Adventures. 

Here is the schedule of outfitter charges:

 

1.     solo kayaks (both sit-upon and sit-in) each $40

2.     tandem (2-person) canoes $40 each

3.     tandem sit upon kayaks $50 each

4.     shuttle fee per boat for owned rather than rented boats $15

Life jackets, paddles and shuttle fee are included in the rental boat fee for those who rent boats from the outfitter.  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 from the take out back to the outfitter’s office 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. 

When we arrive at the outfitter’s, you will sign a waiver, pay your shuttle or boat rental fee, use the restroom, and then we’ll put in the river at the outfitter’s.  We will then paddle down the creek to the take out, stopping as often as we want to.  The outfitter’s vehicles will meet us at the take out and transport us and our boats back to the outfitter’s office where our cars are.

Well-behaved, properly supervised children age 10 and over welcome.

After the canoe and kayak trip we are going to a nearby restaurant for an optional dinner.  If you would like to wear dry clothes for the drive home or to go to dinner, please bring a change of clothes to be kept in the car. 

Reservations Required: You must contact Dan Frederick, email southeasternoutings@gmail.com 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 12 SEO kayak and canoe trip AND you are renting a boat from the outfitter at the site of the trip, in this instance you are required to call or contact ONLY the trip leader and notify him that you are coming!  Dan will inform the outfitter how many and what type of rental boats he will need to provide to SEO people for this trip.  Also, 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.

Please do not just show up for this outing without making advance reservations!  Please meet 8:45 a.m. at the Hayden/Corner Park and Ride.  We plan to depart from there at 9:00 a.m.  For more essential information about this trip, please see Note for Kayak and Canoe Trips below.

Information and Trip Leader: If you have questions or would like additional information about this trip, please email Dan Frederick, southeasternoutings@gmail.com or phone 205/631-4680.

 

AUGUST 19, SATURDAY, please meet 9:45 a.m.

Southeastern Outings River Beach Walk, Swim and Picnic at Barton’s Beach in Perry County, Alabama

Details: Barton’s Beach, the largest sand and gravel beach on the entire Cahaba River, is a property owned by the Alabama Nature Conservancy.  It is indeed a beautiful sight to behold!  Enjoy a beach gathering on this scenic, fine-grained sand beach in Marion, Alabama.  The scenery is spectacular.  The floodplain broadens and creates areas of bottomland hardwood forests, oxbow lakes and extensive sand and gravel bars.

You can float on the river from the upper end of the beach to the lower end of the beach and then carry your float and walk on the beach back up to the upper end and repeat that real fun experience as many times as you like during the day.  You may bring whatever flotation device you wish on this outing.  Dan will bring a float air pump to the beach.  See float note below for information about acquiring flotation devices. 

Please bring with you your swimsuit, towel, picnic lunch and water, soft drink or fruit juice to drink.  Wading shoes with substantial soles are recommended.  A change of clothes (dry underwear also advised) to be left in the car is also recommended if you would like to wear dry clothes for the drive home and/or to go out to dinner with us.   

A restroom is available at Perry Lakes County Park where we’ll park our cars. 

The approximate 1/3-mile walk from the Perry Lakes Park parking lot to Barton’s Beach is easy since the terrain is level and the walk is all on trails.  Interpretive nature trails (fire lanes and primitive paths) make walking through the woods fairly easy and fun.  The two properties adjoin each other so we can walk readily back and forth between them. 

Well-behaved, carefully supervised children age 7 and older able to swim are welcome, but parents are responsible for all risks to their children.  All participants must be able to swim to come on this outing!

          Depending on the time we leave the beach, we might go for an optional dinner after the outing is concluded.

Please meet 9:45 a.m. at the McDonald’s Galleria.  We plan to depart from there at 10:00 a.m.

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.

 

AUGUST 26, SATURDAY, please meet 8:45 a.m.

Southeastern Outings Kayak and Canoe Trip, Chattooga River near Gaylesville, Alabama

Details: This will be Southeastern Outings’ second group trip on the Chattooga River.  Seven Southeastern Outings members kayaked and canoed this stretch of river on an initial scouting trip September 23, 2022.  Everyone who participated agreed that this part of the river is easy to negotiate and highly suitable for boaters of varying abilities to paddle.  The service provided by the outfitter was outstanding. 

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.  

Please note that for this trip you may rent plastic kayaks and paddles from Tooga Yaks.

Here is the schedule of outfitter charges:

 1.    solo sit-upon kayaks each $30.  Kayak rental fee includes rent of the kayak, life jacket and paddles.

2.    shuttle fee per boat for owned rather than rented boats $10 

 Please note that the outfitter has for rent about 70 one-person sit-upon kayaks. 

The outfitter takes most all types of payment including cash, credit/debit cards, Venmo, cash app and checks. 

This outfitter does not have canoes to rent.  However, Dan Frederick’s daughter, Aree, has a few canoes which she may offer to rent 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 June 25 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.

Rental fees include paddles, life jackets and shuttle service.  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 from the outfitter’s office 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.  

When we arrive at the outfitter’s, you will sign a waiver, pay your shuttle or boat rental fee, and use the restrooms.  Then the outfitter will transport all our people and our boats, both rented and owned, to the put in.  We will then paddle down the river to the take out, stopping as often as we want to.  We will take out at the outfitter’s place where our cars are. 

We plan to go for an optional dinner on the way back to Birmingham.  Our outfitter has recommended a good place near his office, 10-15 minutes away, in Cedar Bluff. It’s called Smorgasbord at the Cove. It’s located on Weiss Lake and serves a variety of food such as steak, pasta, shrimp, southern cuisine, and homemade desserts.

If you would like to shower and/or wear dry clothes for the drive home or in order to go to dinner with us, please bring your shower things and/or a change of clothes to be kept in the car.  You may change clothes and/or shower in the outfitter’s exceptionally clean, spacious restrooms complete with toilets, washbowls, running water, hot showers, and plenty of floor space.

Reservations Required: You must contact Dan Frederick, email southeasternoutings@gmail.com or call 205/631-4680 if you plan to come on this kayak and canoe scouting trip.  You may leave a message on Dan’s voice mail if you wish.

Please do not just show up for this outing at the meeting place without making advance reservations! 

Please meet 8:45 a.m. at the Applebee’s in Trussville.  We plan to depart from there at 9:00 a.m.  For more essential information about this trip, please see Note for Kayak and Canoe Trips below.

Information: If you have questions or would like additional information about this kayak and canoe trip, please call Dan Frederick, 205/631-4680 or email southeasternoutings@gmail.com. 

 

Note for Kayak and Canoe Trips

The kayak and canoe outings listed in the announcements above are suitable for beginner/novice canoeists and kayakers, but each beginner canoeist must paddle with an experienced canoeist.  Life jackets or personal flotation devices are required and must be worn.  Bring your own boat, borrow one, paddle with a friend, or rent a boat from the outfitter(s) 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, thick-soled 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 don’t already have cord attached to your own boat.  If you have further questions, please call the trip leader.

July Activities 2023

   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

Click for More Pictures

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.