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August and September Activities
AUGUST 17, SATURDAY, Meet 8:45 a.m.
Short Dayhike and Glorious Swim in the huge
pool at the bottom of the 102-foot-high DeSoto Falls in DeSoto State Park
Details: Strenuous walk through
the woods and down a short, but very steep hill in DeSoto State Park to the
huge pool which many of you have seen from above when at 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. You can also
walk and play in the section of the river that flows out from the pool.
It takes only 20 minutes to walk from where we’ll park our cars to the water.
All but the last 75 feet or so is simple walking on fairly level ground. BUT
the last 75 feet are quite strenuous, requiring some rock, root and rope
climbing. So we are rating the hiking portion of this outing as
strenuous. Please note that we will use a thick, very sturdy rope at two
places to go down to the waterfall and at the same two places going up,
also. Your feet will always be on the ground. You will not be
dangling from a rope without having your feet on the ground. But if you
are queasy about this aspect of the walk in and out, please do not come on this
trip.
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.
Note-To view photos of
what we will see on this trip, please click on this link:
Please be sure to
click on the link and view the photographs.
After
our swim and float, we’ll walk less than one mile back to the cars and then go
for showers and an optional dinner.
Please
bring picnic lunch, water, swimsuit, river shoes and any kind of a flotation
device you wish. See float note below for information about acquiring
floats. You are required to carry your flotation devices deflated for the walk in and out from the
pool. Dan Frederick will bring his float pump to pump up and deflate
floats at the edge of the pool when we get there.
Hot
showers for $2.00 per person are available before dinner. Please bring
shower things and change of clothes if you wish to clean up and change for
dinner. 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 seoutings@bellsouth.net if you would like me to email to you
driving directions to the Lodge.
Info: Dan Frederick, seoutings@bellsouth.net or 205/631-4680
Float Note
Substantial, fabric-covered, inflatable,
vinyl, rectangular floats like you use to ride the waves
at the Gulf work well on this outing. Trip leader Dan Frederick
has floats 60 inches long for $12 each for sale ONLY at the start of outings Dan
attends. We regret that we are no longer able to find the longer, 72-inch
floats for sale anywhere. Please pay either with exact change or a check made out to SEO.
First come, first served.
DIRECTIONS TO MEETING PLACE
Applebee’s Restaurant Trussville (coming from Birmingham)—4711 Norrell Drive,
Trussville, AL 35173. Take I-59 North to Exit #141 (Chalkville Mountain
Road Exit). Exit I-59 at Exit #141. Drive to traffic light at far
end of the I-59 interstate exit ramp. This is at intersection of the exit
ramp and Chalkville Mountain Road. Turn right at the traffic light at the far
end of exit ramp. Drive to first stoplight you come to on Chalkville
Mountain Road and turn left. Applebee’s Restaurant is on Norrell Drive
directly behind the McDonald’s (currently under renovation construction) which
faces Chalkville Mountain Road.
AUGUST 24, SATURDAY, Meet 8:15 a.m.
Moderately Strenuous Dayhike
and Creekwade in Collier Creek, Bankhead Forest
Details: This is one of the prettiest creeks in the Bankhead
Forest. There was even a special
magazine article about its beauty! We hope to see at least six waterfalls running on this
outing if we are lucky. Collier Creek
is located in a heavily forested area with lots of hemlock trees.
Participants on this hike will be
expected to be able and willing to walk at least 4 ½ miles off trail over
rugged terrain including wading 2 miles in two creeks, portions of which may
sometimes be knee deep, wear hiking
boots and long pants to hike through the woods to and from the creek, and
bring and wear old shorts or swim suit and wading shoes for the creek
wade. Sturdy foot protection you don’t mind getting wet and dirty
is required to wade in the creeks. Old
sneakers work well. Bare feet, flip-flops, loose slip-ons and
thin-soled “beach shoes” are not acceptable!
Also please do bring a large
plastic bag with twist tie or Ziploc in which to put your wet shoes and a hand
towel to dry your feet before putting your socks and hiking boots back on for
the walk out. You are strongly
encouraged to bring a hiking stick or hiking poles (preferably two of them)
with you on this outing for use when you are wading in the creek. The creek bottom is rocky and uneven. Poles help you keep your balance and aid in
preventing falls. Also please bring a
towel, your picnic lunch and at least
a quart of drinking water.
Please come only if you are willing to get wet!
Enjoy an adventure. Bring a friend. Well-behaved, properly supervised children age 9 and over
welcome. After the outing we are
planning to go to a restaurant for an optional dinner. You can shower and change clothes at a
campground a few miles from the restaurant.
If you would like to shower and/or clean up and have dinner with us at
the restaurant, please bring a change of clothes for dinner and your shower
things. No charge to use the campground
rest room just to wash up and change clothes.
If you wish to shower, please bring $2.00 exact change cash for shower
fee and be sure you give your shower fee
to the trip leader on August 24 to forward to the campground owner!.
Meet 8:15 at the Hayden/Corner
Park and Ride or at 9:00 a.m. at the Mile 300 Rest Area on I-65 just south of
Cullman, Alabama. We plan to depart
from the Park and Ride at 8:30 a.m. Please note that the group will NOT be meeting at Double
Springs at all on this outing. This
outing is in the eastern section of the Bankhead National Forest and not near
Double Springs or the Sipsey Wilderness.
Info: Dan Frederick, seoutings@bellsouth.net or 205/631-4680
AUGUST 31, SATURDAY
OPEN
Probably kayak and canoe trip to a new location
SEPTEMBER 7, SATURDAY,
Meet 9:45 a.m.
River Float, Picnic, Swim on the Locust Fork in Blount County near
County Line and Trafford
Details: Easy river float on the Locust Fork River. Have fun swimming and just sitting in the
pools in the river. We will be floating from Vaughn’s Bridge to the location of
the previous Dean’s Ferry Bridge.
Please bring a picnic lunch, drink, towel, sunscreen and something to
float on such as an inflatable vinyl float or air mattress. Please see float note below for information
about acquiring floats.
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 people wait
while you take time to have your lunch prepared after you arrive at the meeting
place at 9:45 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 strap the pack to your back.
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! 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. Bring a friend or
several if you wish.
Spring floats, passenger car and pick up truck tire tubes 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. They are difficult to steer and
therefore unsafe for use on Southeastern Outings river floats.
Meet 9:45 a.m. at the
Hayden/Corner Park and Ride. We plan to
depart from there at 10:00 a.m.
Arriving 15 minutes before departure time will allow time to hear
announcements concerning the day’s event and form carpools from the Park and
Ride. Because parking at the take out
is available for only 3 or so vehicles, we want people to carpool as much as
possible from the meeting place in the morning.
Float Note
Substantial, fabric-covered, inflatable, vinyl, rectangular floats like you use to ride the waves at the Gulf work
best. Trip leader Dan Frederick
has floats 60 inches long for sale for $12 each ONLY at the start of outings Dan attends. We regret that at this time we have been
unable to find a source where we can buy more of the 72-inch canvas-covered
floats. Please pay either with exact change or a check made out
to SEO. First come, first served.
Here is an alternative to carrying
your lunches, water, towel and sunscreen in a pack on your back. You can
bring with you four 6-7 foot lengths of sturdy cord. Place your pack with
your things in it in the middle of the foot of your float. Lash the pack
to your float with two of the cords, one passing around the float and through
the top of the straps and the other passing around the float and through the
bottom of the straps of your pack. Pass the other two cords over the top
of your pack and under the float and tie them down tightly. Then lie on your float with the pack sort of
between your knees with your feet splayed out at the bottom corners of your
float. Using this method eliminates your having to float down the river
for several hours on your belly with a pack on your back, and it also gives you
the option of turning over and lying on your back in the slower-moving sections
of the river in order to change your body position and float more
comfortably. If you are an adult, this method of fastening your pack to
your float works only if you are using a 72-in long rectangular float. Either method of transporting your pack is
satisfactory and acceptable. But I learned that people like it when you
give them choices. In any case, your lunches, etc. should be double
bagged (or placed in a waterproof canoe bag) inside your pack.
Inflatable boats are not permitted on SEO river floats!
SEPTEMBER 14, SATURDAY, Meet 8:45
a.m.
Canoe and Kayak Trip with Dinner After
Where: Terrapin Creek near Piedmont, Alabama
Details: Please plan
to come on a relaxing kayak and canoe trip on Terrapin Creek in Calhoun County
near Piedmont, Alabama. The section we
will paddle is relatively easy with no classified rapids. This is a scenic stretch of creek located in
a very rural area. Thirty-three
Southeastern Outings people participated in this popular outing in June of
2017.
Please note that for this trip you may rent canoes for $50 each or one
person sit-upon plastic kayaks for $30 each from Terrapin Outdoor Center. Rental fees include shuttle
service, paddles and life jackets. Also
the outfitter will shuttle for a $10 fee per boat all private boats used
on this outing. If you wish to rent a boat from Terrapin
Outdoor Center, please call the Center BEFORE September 14 at 256/447-6666 to
reserve your boat. Please be sure you
tell the Center you are boating with Southeastern Outings.
After the canoe and kayak trip we
are planning to go to a restaurant in Jacksonville for an optional dinner. If you would like to wash up and/or have
dinner with us at the restaurant after the canoe trip, please bring a change of
clothes and a towel. Outfitter has four
changing rooms. Two are changing rooms
only with no toilets or washbowls, and two are restrooms with washbowls,
toilets and running water, but no showers.
Reservations Required: You must email seoutings@bellsouth.net or call
Dan Frederick, 205/631-4680 if you plan to come on this outing. Please advise your name, telephone number,
skill level, whether you are bringing or wish to rent a canoe or kayak and
whether you need a paddling partner.
You may leave a message on Dan’s voice mail if you wish.
If you want to come on the September 14 kayak and canoe trip AND you are
renting a boat from the outfitter at the site of the trip, you are required 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!
And 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.
Meet 8:45 a.m. at Leeds Highway 78 gravel
parking lot. 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.
Info. and Trip Leader: If you have further questions,
please call Dan Frederick, 205/631-4680 or email seoutings@bellsouth.net.
Note for Kayak and Canoe Trips
The kayak and canoe outing listed
above is suitable for beginner/novice canoeists and kayakers, but each beginner
canoeist must paddle with an experienced canoeist. Life jackets 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 from the outfitters listed.
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 people wait
while you take time to have your lunch prepared after you arrive at the meeting
place at 8:45 a.m. Also please bring
your picnic lunch, something to drink, sunscreen 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.
When you make your reservation
with the trip leader, please be absolutely certain to provide ALL of the following information:
1.
Whether you want to kayak or canoe
2.
Whether you are renting a kayak or canoe from the outfitter
or bringing your own kayak or canoe
3.
Your name
4.
Your telephone number or email address
5.
If you are also making a reservation for someone else coming
with you, please give the first and last NAMES of that person. Don’t just say, “My daughter, my friend, my
wife”.
6.
If you are canoeing, please give your skill level.
7.
If you have already selected a canoe partner and you are
making a reservation for your partner, too, please give the name and skill
level of your partner.
8. Please do NOT just show up at the meeting place
without making an advance reservation!!
9.
And if you
have made a reservation to participate and then decide to cancel, please be
absolutely sure to call and notify the trip leader at least two hours before
the scheduled departure time from the meeting place. If you have made a reservation and then
don’t show up and don’t cancel ahead of time, you will not be permitted to
participate in any future Southeastern Outings events where reservations
are required.
10.
If you have
made a reservation for a friend whom you have invited to come on this trip and
your friend is not coming, you must notify the leader 1 ½ hours or more
before the event departure time of this cancellation!
SEPTEMBER 21, SATURDAY
OPEN
Probably kayak and canoe trip to a new location for Southeastern Outings
SEPTEMBER
28, SATURDAY, 11:30 a.m.
Potluck Picnic Lunch followed by Afternoon Kayak or Canoe Paddle or Afternoon Dayhike
Where: Lower
Fishing Lake (now called Beaver Lake), Oak Mountain State Park, located at the
back entrance to the park.
Details: Prior to the canoeing and kayaking and hiking, boaters,
hikers and other Southeastern Outings people and guests will get together at
the Mallard Pavilion in the neighborhood of the Flip Side Water Sports office,
(FS and formerly the Fishing Center), for a group potluck picnic. Please bring a dish of food to share with
the group. Please bring all food items
to this potluck in dishes with a cover
on them (think “like Tupperware”.)
Please do not bring your food in fast food, cardboard or open
containers. There are obvious issues
with bees, flies and yellow jackets, etc. when setting up food exposed outdoors
to nuisance insects.
You may bring a bag of potato chips, but if you do, you should bring
some more substantial food to share in addition. Please bring also $5/person ($2 seniors and children) park
admission fee, a beverage for yourself and folding lawn chairs if you have
them. Southeastern Outings will furnish
plates, cups, knives, forks, spoons, napkins, and ice. Picnic preparations will begin at 11:30 a.m.
We will begin eating lunch at 12:00 noon.
After lunch you can enjoy boating
on the lower fishing lake. You may
bring your own boat (no charge) or you may rent a canoe from the park by paying
for your rental canoe at the back gate to the park. The park says they have 5 tandem canoes for rent. Two of the canoes each used to have one
broken seat in them. Rental rate for
canoes is $14 per hour. Cash only. No
credit cards accepted. First come,
first served.
FS has available for rent 5 solo
kayaks and 8 stand-up paddleboards.
Rental rate for either is $20 per hour.
Cash or credit cards accepted by FS.
No shuttle is involved in any of
these boating activities. Share an
adventure! Bring a friend.
We’ll launch our boats about 1:30
p.m. at the lake shore.
Or you can enjoy a moderately easy
afternoon hike along the shore of the upper fishing lake (now called Lunker
Lake) in the park. Hike departs from
the Mallard Pavilion about 1:30 p.m.
You are welcome to participate in
the boating or hiking and skip the group picnic; you are welcome to skip the
boating or hiking and come just for the picnic; or, as most people did the
previous five times we have sponsored this outing, you are encouraged to enjoy
the outdoor exercise activities AND the picnic.
Meet at the Mallard Pavilion just downhill from the very far end of the
parking lot which is designated for the FS office near the back entrance to Oak
Mountain State Park
Info: (picnic) Acyenith Alexander 205/529-2253; (boating) Dan
Frederick, seoutings@bellsouth.net or phone 205/631-4680; (hiking) David Shepherd, 205/240-4681
SEPTEMBER 29, SUNDAY, Meet 1:45 p.m.
Moderately easy approximately 6 ½-mile dayhike on the Black Creek Trail
in Fultondale and Gardendale, just north of Birmingham
Details: Walk on a rails-to-trails conversion route on an old
railroad right of way. This smooth
trail is wide and level. No hills! This finely-crushed rock surface trail goes
through mostly wooded terrain. Note
that the trail has been extended since we last hiked on it. Our route on September 29 will include both
the previously-hiked section and the new section. So come out to see and experience what the new part looks like!
No motorized vehicles are allowed
on the trail! This outing should be
lots of fun for everyone. Well-behaved,
carefully supervised children age seven and up able to walk 6 ½ miles without
complaining are welcome on this walk.
This outing has consistently been one of our most popular events since
it is easy and close to Birmingham.
Meet 1:45 p.m. at the Black Creek
Park in Fultondale, Alabama. We plan to
depart from there at 2:00 p.m.
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