August, and September Activities
AUGUST 14, SATURDAY, Meet 9:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings River Float
Where: Locust Fork from Swann Covered Bridge to Powell Falls
Details: Easy river float on the Locust Fork River. Float in the river from Swann Covered Bridge to Powell Falls. We’ll view a genuine, old but newly refurbished wooden covered bridge. Then we’ll float under the bridge and further, about a mile and a half, downstream to the waterfall. We’ll also view the sheer cliffs that rise about 60 feet above the river. So enjoy a flowing river, covered bridge, high rock bluffs and at least one waterfall—all along a 1.5 mile stretch of this river. 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 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 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 on the huge flat rock in the middle of the river beside the waterfall. Have fun swimming in the pool at the base of the rock, jumping into the pool, climbing up and down or just sitting in Powell Falls. We will walk back to the bridge on a trail along the river. 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.
Note-To view photos of what we will see on this trip, please click on this link:
https://goo.gl/photos/N7bGvwrj2rSdkMME8
Please be sure to click on the link and view the photographs.
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. The last time a woman tried to float down this river with us on a spring float (now that I know what it is called), I had to order two high school football players in our group to wade out into the river immediately to seize her and her spring float in order to prevent her from being swept over the big waterfall. 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 be at the Cleveland Chevron Service Station parking lot no later than 9:45 a.m. ready to depart promptly at 10:00 a.m. Arriving 15 minutes before departure time will allow time to use the restrooms at the service station, hear announcements concerning the day’s event, and form carpools from the Chevron. Note that parking is extremely limited at the put in point on the river.
Please note that reservations are NOT requested or required for this event!
Info: Dan Frederick, seoutings@bellsouth.net or 205/631-4680
DIRECTIONS TO MEETING PLACE
Cleveland Chevron-36320 AL Highway 79, Cleveland, AL 35049. From junction of I-59/I-20 and I-65 (malfunction junction) in downtown Birmingham take I-65 North 23.5 miles to Exit 284 marked variously Exit 284, AL Route 160, Hayden/Corner, Park and Ride and Rickwood Caverns. Turn right at end of exit ramp at Exit 284 and drive on AL 160 17.6 miles all the way to the traffic circle at intersection with AL 79 in Cleveland Alabama. The Cleveland Chevron, our meeting place, will then be on your far left on the far side of the traffic circle.
River Float Note
Substantial, fabric-covered, inflatable, vinyl, rectangular floats like you use to ride the waves at the Gulf work best. However, since we have been unsuccessful during the past several years in finding a source to sell us more of this type of ideal float, we will also allow both vinyl recreational floating tubes and truck tire tubes on this river float.
Dan will provide three hand float pumps to pump up your float or tube at the start point of the river float.
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 and your pack should then be tied to your float.
AUGUST 21, SATURDAY, Meet 8:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings River Float
Where: Sipsey Fork River
Details: Easy river float on the Sipsey Fork River from the location of the now removed Low Water Bridge to near County Highway 2. We’ll float downstream under the Highway 33 Bridge for about three miles. Along the way we’ll view high cliffs and overhanging hemlock trees. So enjoy a flowing river, high rock bluffs and a beautiful river—all along a three mile stretch of this river. Bring something to float on such as an inflatable vinyl float or air mattress. Substantial, fabric-covered, inflatable, vinyl, rectangular floats like you use to ride the waves at the Gulf work best. See float note below for information about acquiring floats. Dan Frederick will bring his float pump to pump up floats at the edge of the river.
Also please bring a picnic lunch, 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!
We’ll stop for lunch probably at a beach along the river. Have fun floating and swimming with us in one of Alabama’s most scenic rivers. You must be able to swim to participate in this outing!
Well-behaved, properly supervised children age 9 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 this SEO river float! 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 Sipsey Fork River. They are difficult to steer and therefore unsafe for use on Southeastern Outings river floats.
Bring a friend or several if you wish. Please be at the Kmart Green Springs no later than 8:45 a.m. ready to depart promptly at 9:00 a.m. or at the Jacks in Double Springs at 10:20 a.m.
Please note that we may have to cancel this outing if the water level Friday, August 20, in the Sipsey Fork River is too low to float. So please be sure to check your emails or call Dan Frederick, 205/631-4680 the evening of Friday, August 20 or the morning of Saturday, August 21, to ascertain whether we are going on August 21 or not.
Info: Dan Frederick, seoutings@bellsouth.net or 631-4680
AUGUST 28, SATURDAY, Meet 7:00 p.m.
Southeastern Outings Evening Walk
Where: Hillsboro Trail, Helena, Shelby County, Alabama
Details: Join friendly folks on an easy four-mile evening walk on the Hillsboro Trail in Helena, Alabama. This smooth trail is wide, paved and with only a few short hills. On this particular walk you will be walking on a scenic trail which goes through mostly wooded terrain.
No motorized vehicles are allowed on your trail! All road crossings are through three tunnels under the roads. Note this is a relatively easy outing, one which should be lots of fun for everyone. Well-behaved, carefully supervised children age seven and up able to walk four miles without complaining are welcome on this walk.
After the walk we’ll enjoy going together for frozen yogurt at Yogurt Mountain in Hoover.
Please meet at 7:00 p.m. in the front parking lot at the Helena Middle School and depart from that location at 7:15 p.m. to begin the walk.
Info: Dan Frederick, seoutings@bellsouth.net or phone 205/631-4680
SEPTEMBER 4, 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 third, moderately easy 5.2 mile-long hike in this newly created park.
Cahaba River Park will include two sectors: a larger sector on the north side of the river and a sector on the south side of the river that will allow for motorized access.
The river will split the park into two sites with different amenities. The north side, which is being 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 being 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 September 4 will include walking on several trails. The park’s trails offer a nice blend of forest 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 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: Jason Otis, 334-546-7648 or email jmotis@me.com
SEPTEMBER 11, SATURDAY, Meet 8:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings River Beach Walk, Swim and Picnic at Barton’s Beach in Perry County, Alabama
Details: Enjoy a beach gathering on a beautiful, fine-grained sand beach in Alabama. The scenery is spectacular. The area is an extensive sand beach on the Lower Cahaba River. 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 flotation devices.
Please bring with you swimsuit, towel, picnic lunch and water, soft drink or fruit juice to drink. Wading shoes with substantial soles are recommended.
Restrooms are available at Perry Lakes County Park where we’ll park our cars. The approximate 1/2 mile hike to Barton’s Beach is easy since the terrain is level and the walk is all on trails.
We will also offer an optional opportunity to climb on stairs to the top of the Perry Lakes Park viewing tower, a rebuilt fire tower with gorgeous views high above the tallest treetops in the area.
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 8:45 a.m. at the McDonald’s Galleria. We plan to depart from there at 9:00 a.m.
Info: Dan Frederick, seoutings@bellsouth.net or 205/631-4680
SEPTEMBER 18, SATURDAY, 9:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Sunday Dayhike
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. Well-behaved, properly supervised children age seven and up able to walk the distance and complete the hike without complaining are welcome.
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.
Well-behaved, carefully supervised children age eight and over welcome.
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
Info: David Shepherd, 205/ 240-4681, email davidshep2@yahoo.com
SEPTEMBER 25, SATURDAY, Meet 8:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings 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 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 26 at 256/447-6666 to reserve your boat. Please be sure you tell the Center you are boating with Southeastern Outings.
This outfitter no longer has 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, seoutings@bellsouth.net or phone 205-631-4680 BEFORE September 26 to request a canoe to rent if that is what you want. We will do our best to fulfill your request.
After the canoe and kayak trip we are planning to go to an excellent restaurant in Jacksonville, Alabama 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 26 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 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.
Revised Southeastern Outings Covid 19 Pandemic Information
Most of you are already familiar with the stay-at-home
orders issued by the Governor of Alabama.
The Governor stated, “A person may leave his or her place of residence to participate in outdoor activity so long as the person maintains a consistent six-foot distance from other persons.
Notice of Southeastern Outings Precautionary Measures Concerning Covid 19 Virus
Southeastern Outings assures all our outings participants that we strongly desire to protect your health during this critical time. You may make your own decisions about what to do to protect yourselves, but the following measures are what we strongly suggest. We recommend taking the following measures.
We ask our participants to maintain a reasonable social distance, usually 6 or more feet, between yourself and other people. We recognize that this may not always be possible, but we encourage you to keep some distance from others as much as possible.
We will have outing announcements, but we ask you to try insofar as possible to maintain a distance of six feet between yourself and others while the announcements are given. Dan will try to project his voice effectively in such instances, and please, please do not converse with others while announcements are being made.
Optional potluck dinner parties will be cancelled until further notice.
In any case, of course, if you have flu-like symptoms (fever, aches or pains in the joints and respiratory system problems) please stay at home and do not come on outings with us! This is just common sense.
We want to point out that walking in the woods outdoors where there are not many other people present is considerably safer at this time than being in crowds of people or in heavily populated public places. Participating in our events will give you opportunities to be in the outdoors, get some beneficial exercise, and do something you enjoy with other people while still allowing you to easily and conveniently maintain safe social distancing.
