OCTOBER 19, SUNDAY, Meet 1:45 p.m.
Southeastern Outings Moderate Dayhike Along Buck Creek in Helena, AL
Upcoming Activities
Details: Come explore the wilder side of Helena. Hike with SEO on a lovely creekside trail in Helena in Shelby County. Total hiking distance is less than four miles. Hike rated moderately easy. We will be walking briefly off trail and walking up some hills when the trail routes us away from the creek. Well-behaved, properly supervised children age eight and up welcome.
Please meet at 1:45 p.m. in the parking lot for the Helena City Park on AL Highway 261 by the bridge over Buck Creek in Helena. We plan to depart from there at 2:00 p.m.
Directions to Meeting Place: Take I-65 to Exit #247, the Shelby County Route 17, Valleydale Road exit. Go to end of ramp and turn right regardless of whether you come from the south or the north. Take Co. 17, which changes from Co. Route 17 to AL 261, all the way into Helena. You will cross one railroad and then drive over a bridge with a dam and waterfall on the left. Immediately past the bridge, turn sharply back to the right just before you cross a second railroad and then drive into the parking lot for a city park right on the shore of the creek. Distances on Valleydale Road, (Shelby County Route 17) and then Alabama Route 261 from I-65 exit number 247 to driveway into Helena Park parking lot are 5.5 miles from bottom end of southbound ramp and 5.9 miles from bottom end of northbound ramp.
Information and Trip Leader: Dan Frederick, southeasternoutings@gmail.com or 205/631-4680
OCTOBER 23, THURSDAY, meet 9:30 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Leisurely Weekday Hike
Where: Red Mountain Park
Click here for more photos.
Details: Please come with us for a 3 to 4-mile hike on a walkable portion of this noteworthy place. We will hike from the Red Mountain Park Parking Lot on Lyon Lane to the Grace’s Gap and back.
The walking pace for this hike is rated moderately easy since there are some hills to climb. We’ll stop often to catch our breath and note flowers, trees, birdsongs and the trail and woods around us.
Please bring your picnic lunch and plenty of water. Wear good walking shoes or boots. Dress appropriately for the weather.
Please meet at 9:30 a.m. in the large Red Mountain Park parking lot on the right side of Lyon Lane immediately after you turn right onto Lyon Lane off of the north end of Frankfurt Drive off Lakeshore Parkway. We plan to depart from there shortly thereafter.
Information and Trip Leader: Christine Heckemeyer, 205-979-5730
NOVEMBER 1, SATURDAY, Meet 9:45 a.m.
(Postponed from Oct. 25)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 25. 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 9:45 a.m. at the Applebee’s Restaurant in Trussville. We plan to depart from there at 10:00 a.m. or meet 11:20 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
