June and July Activities
JUNE 10, 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 flotation devices.
Note-To
view photos of what we will see on this trip, please click on this link:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/
Please be sure to click on the link and view the photographs.
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.
DIRECTIONS
TO MEETING PLACE
McDonald’s
Galleria-1731 Montgomery Highway, Hoover, AL
35244. Parking lot behind the McDonald’s Restaurant across U.S. 31 from the
main entrance to the Riverchase Galleria Shopping Mall.
JUNE 13, TUESDAY, Meet 8:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings
Canoe and Kayak Trip probably with dinner after
Where: Terrapin Creek near Piedmont,
Alabama
Click for More Pictures
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 one class I classified rapid (which you can portage around if you prefer). This is a scenic stretch of creek located in a very rural area. Twenty-four Southeastern Outings people participated in this popular outing on May 18, 2019.
Please note that for this trip you may rent one person sit-upon plastic
kayaks for $25 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 June 13 at 256/447-6666
to reserve your boat. Please be sure
you tell the Center you are boating with Southeastern Outings. Please note that the outfitter has only 100
one-person sit-on-top kayaks for rent, so be sure you call to reserve early. Once all their kayaks are reserved for June
13, there will be no more kayaks available to rent!
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, southeasternoutings@gmail.com or phone 205/631-4680 BEFORE June
13 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.
After the canoe and kayak trip we
are planning to go to a pleasant restaurant in Piedmont for an optional
dinner. If you would like to wash up
and/or have dinner with us at the restaurant after the kayak and 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 souhesternoutings@gmail.com 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 a canoe or kayak
or you wish to rent a kayak or canoe.
You may leave a message on Dan’s voice mail if you wish. If
you want to come on the June 13 kayak and canoe trip AND you are renting a
kayak from the outfitter at the site of the trip, you are required in this
instance 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 Applebee’s Restaurant 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.
Info. and Trip Leader:
If you have further
questions, please call Dan Frederick, 205/631-4680 or email
southeasternoutings@gmail.com.
Southeastern Outings
Kayak and Canoe Outing, Big Wills Creek near Gadsden, Alabama.
Click for More Pictures
Details: This will be Southeastern Outings’ fourteenth kayak and canoe trip on Big Wills Creek. 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. Forty-six SEO people participated in this very popular outing in 2015.
Novice canoeists are welcome and may
come on this trip, but each novice canoeist must be partnered with an experienced canoeist in their canoe.
Please note that for this trip you
may rent canoes and one or two-person (tandem) sit-upon plastic kayaks and
paddles from Big Wills Outfitters.
Here is
the schedule of outfitter charges:
1.
solo kayaks each $30
2.
canoes and tandem kayaks $50 each
3.
shuttle fee per boat for owned rather than rented
boats $10
Rental fees include life jackets and shuttle service. Also the outfitter will shuttle for a fee all
private boats used on this outing. If
you wish to rent a boat from Big Wills Outfitters, please call the outfitter
BEFORE Saturday, June 17 at 256/538-3226 to reserve your boat. Tell the outfitter you are boating with
Southeastern Outings. Please note that the outfitter has only 5
canoes and 57 one-person sit-upon kayaks and 5 tandem (2-person) sit-upon
kayaks for rent, so be sure you call to reserve early. Once all their boats of one type or the
other are reserved for June 17, there will be no more boats of that type
available to rent!
If you rent a boat from this
outfitter, the outfitter will take you and your rented boat to the put in, and
you will take out at the outfitter’s property so you will never need to
transport your rented boat at all. Life
jackets, paddles and shuttle fee are included in the rental boat fee for those
who rent boats from the outfitter. You
may bring your own canoe or kayak on this trip, but you must pay the outfitter
to shuttle your privately-owned boat.
For more information about the outfitter and photos of the creek, please
visit their website www.facebook.com/bigwillsoutfitters
When we arrive at the outfitter’s,
you will sign a waiver, pay your shuttle or boat rental fee, use the restroom,
and then eat lunch in the picnic area at the outfitter’s. After you finish lunch, the outfitter will transport
ALL the boaters and their boats, both rented and owned, to the put in. We will then paddle down the creek to the
take out, stopping as often as we want to.
Well-behaved, properly supervised
children age 10 and over welcome.
After the canoe and kayak trip we
are hopefully planning to go to a restaurant in Gadsden for dinner. Our going to dinner depends on what time we
finish boating. If you would like to
have dinner with us at the restaurant after the kayak and canoe trip, please
bring a change of clothes. A changing
room is available at the outfitter’s.
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 June 17 kayak and canoe trip AND you are
renting a boat from the outfitter at the site of the trip, you are required in
this instance 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! Please meet 9:45 a.m. at the Applebee’s in Trussville. We plan to depart from there at 10:00
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
questions or would like additional information about this outing, please call
Dan Frederick 205/631-4680 or email southeasternoutings@gmail.com.
Note for Kayak and Canoe Trips
The kayak and canoe outing listed in the announcement above
is 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 kayak or canoe from the outfitter
listed above.
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 boat
(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
NAME 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.
If
you have made a reservation to participate and then decide to cancel, please be
absolutely sure to call and notify the trip leader 1 ½ hours or more before
the event departure time. Don’t just tell your friend if you intend
to cancel!!
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 of this cancellation 1 ½ hours or more before the event departure time! No-shows cause considerable logistical complications for the leader and for the outfitter!
JUNE 24, 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 wear dry clothes for the drive home or
in order to go to dinner with us, please bring a change of clothes to be kept
in the car. You may change clothes in the outfitter’s exceptionally
clean, spacious restrooms complete with toilets, washbowls, running water,
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 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 scouting 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.
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 1, 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 Mims Family Access location at the AL
Highway 33 Bridge to near County Highway 2.
We’ll float downstream from just below 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.
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 or 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!
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.
You are
welcome to 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, June 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, June 30 or
early the morning of Saturday, July 1, to ascertain whether we are going on
August 21 or not.
Info: Dan Frederick, southeasternoutings@gmail.com or 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. Trip leader Dan Frederick now has 60-inch-long inflatable floats for sale for $15 each, and finally, after six years, Dan has 72-inch floats for $23 each 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 4, TUESDAY, 6:30 p.m.
Southeastern Outings 4th of July Picnic
Where: Bartow Arena Park
Details: Please bring your own blanket or chairs and all your
picnic supplies: food, drinks (no alcohol, please), cups, ice, utensils,
etc. Look for the SEO signs. SEO people will assemble to the right of the
stage as you face the band, right where the grass ends and the concrete floor
leading to the entrance to the arena begins.
Well-behaved children, but no dogs, are welcome.
Reservations: Not required.
Info: Dan Frederick, seoutings@bellsouth.net or 205/631-4680
JULY 4, MONDAY, 7:00 p.m.
Southeastern Outings Attends FREE 4th of July Band Concert
Followed by City of Birmingham Fireworks
Where: Bartow Arena Park
Details: Band concert by the UAB Summer Band. This large group of carefully auditioned and
selected student and professional musicians is an outstanding concert
band. Please bring your own blanket or
chairs. SEO people will assemble to
the right of the stage as you face the band, right where the grass ends and the
concrete floor leading to the entrance to the arena begins. Look for the Southeastern Outings signs. When the concert ends, conveniently enjoy
clearly viewing the Birmingham City Fireworks from the picnic area. Well-behaved children, but no dogs, are
welcome.
Reservations: Not required
Info: Dan Frederick, seoutings@bellsouth.net or 205/631-4680
JULY 4, MONDAY, After the Concert and Fireworks
Southeastern Outings Potluck Dessert Get-Together
Where: Bartow Arena Park
Details: Southeastern Outings
people will stay at the Bartow Arena Park for a while after the fireworks are
concluded, avoiding all the exiting traffic congestion. Then we will enjoy good company and
food. You are encouraged to invite one
or several guests to come with you since this event is one of the best SEO
events for introducing yourself (if you are not already a member) and your
friends to the group. Please bring a
small dessert with you to share with the group. SEO will provide a table to set out desserts plus plates,
napkins, forks and spoons. We suggest
you also bring your own drink (no alcohol, please) with you.
Well-behaved
children, but no dogs, are welcome.
No Charge
Reservations: Not required
Info: Dan Frederick, seoutings@bellsouth.net or 205/631-4680
JULY 8, SATURDAY, Meet 9:45 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. 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.
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
JULY 15, SATURDAY, Meet 9:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Kayak/Canoe Trip, Tallapoosa River at Heflin,
Alabama
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
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, seoutings@bellsouth.net or 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. Now, after six years, trip leader Dan Frederick finally has 72-inch-long inflatable floats for sale for $23 each. Dan also has 60-inch-long inflatable floats for sale for $15 each. These floats are available ONLY at the start of Southeastern Outings 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.
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.
