Upcoming Activities
MAY 30, SATURDAY, meet 9:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Kayak and Canoe Outing
Where: Big Wills Creek near Gadsden, Alabama.
Details: This will be Southeastern Outings’ seventeenth 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-Note cash only!):
- solo kayaks each $35
- canoes and tandem kayaks $50 each
- shuttle fee per boat for owned rather than rented boats $10
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 wish to rent a boat from Big Wills Outfitters, please call the outfitter BEFORE Saturday, May 30 at 256/538-3226 to reserve your boat. Tell the outfitter you are boating with Southeastern Outings. Please note that the outfitter has only 3 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 May 30, 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 beside the creek at the outfitter’s take out. 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 at the outfitter’s, stopping along the way as often as we want to.
Well-behaved, properly supervised children age 10 and over welcome.
After the canoe and kayak trip we are probably going 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 to be kept in the car. 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 May 30 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 at 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:
Information and Trip Leader: If you have questions or would like additional information about this outing, please call Dan Frederick at his landline 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 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.
JUNE 6, SATURDAY, please meet 8:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Kayak and Canoe Trip
Where: On the Elk River near Elkmont, Alabama
Details: The six-mile section we will paddle is easy with no obstructions. This is a scenic stretch of river located in a very rural area.
Novice canoeists are welcome and may come on this trip, but each one must be partnered with an experienced canoeist in their boat.
Many of our members have expressed a desire to paddle once again on this stretch of the Elk River. We are extremely grateful to Dan’s daughter, Aree Frederick, who has agreed to provide outfitting services to our entire group for this outing. For this trip you may rent from Aree one-person plastic kayaks and paddles for $30 or you may rent two-person canoes for $40. She has for rent about 110 one-person sit-upon kayaks and about 30 tandem (two-person) canoes.
If you rent a boat from Aree, she will bring your rented boat to the put in and meet you there. She will also meet you at the take out, so you will never need to transport your rented boat at all. Shuttle fee, paddles, and life jacket are included in the boat rental fee for those who rent boats from Aree Frederick.
If you wish to rent a kayak or canoe from Aree, please notify Dan Frederick, southeasternoutings@gmail.com or phone 205/631-4680 BEFORE June 6 to reserve your boat.
If you want to come on the June 6 SEO kayak and canoe trip AND you are renting a boat from Aree at the site of the trip, in this instance you are required to call or contact ONLY Dan Frederick and notify him that you are coming! Dan will inform Aree how many rental kayaks and canoes she will need to provide to SEO people for this trip.
This is a new outfitter for Southeastern Outings. Both of the two Elk River outfitters we used previously closed their businesses. However, we will still boat on the same stretch of the Elk River as we have done previously. Until 2024 we had been unable to sponsor a trip on this river for four years because we could not identify an outfitter who would provide boat rental services to us.
You may bring your own kayak or canoe on this outing. You will not have to pay a shuttle fee to Aree because boat owners on this trip will run their own shuttle.
Children age 10 and over and able to swim are welcome.
After the kayak/canoe trip we will go for dinner at an excellent Italian restaurant in Athens, Alabama. If you would like to have dinner with us at the restaurant after the kayak and canoe trip, please bring your things to clean up with and a change of clothes. After the kayak and canoe outing is completed, we plan to schedule a stop at the Buck Ee’s or at a rest stop on I-65 near Athens, Alabama. If you wish, you will be able to use the very large restrooms and change clothes and wash up there in relative comfort before you go to the restaurant for dinner with us and/or drive home
Please meet 8:45 a.m. at the Hayden/Corner Park and Ride at Exit #284 off I-65 North. We plan to depart from there at 9:00 a.m. For more essential information about this trip, please see Notes for Kayak and Canoe Trips below.
Reservations Required: You must call Dan Frederick, 205/631-4680 or email southeasternoutings@gmail.com 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 are planning to meet the group initially at the put in instead of at the designated meeting place near Birmingham, please tell Dan Frederick in advance that you are planning to meet the group at the put in.
Please do not make it necessary for Dan to contact you concerning information which you have already received in this announcement and in the notes below.
Information and Trip Leader: If you have questions, please call Dan Frederick, landline 205/631-4680, or email southeasternoutings@gmail.com,
JUNE 13, SATURDAY, please meet at 9:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings River Float, Picnic, Swim
Where: On the Locust Fork River from Taylor’s Ford through Cornelius Falls in Blount County near Royal, AL
Details: Easy river float on the Locust Fork River. Float in the river from Taylor’s Ford through Cornelius Falls and below. We’ll float downstream to the widest waterfall on the Locust Fork River. Enjoy eating your picnic lunch sitting on the rocks overlooking the waterfall. This is one of the prettiest lunch spots we have ever seen in Alabama! As we float, we’ll also view sheer cliffs that rise high above the river. So, enjoy a flowing river, high rock bluffs and a gorgeous waterfall—all along a nearly uninhabited stretch of this river. Please bring a picnic lunch, drink, sunscreen and something to float on such as a fabric-covered, inflatable vinyl float. See Float Note below for additional information.
Please wear swimsuit and sturdy footwear you don’t mind getting wet and dirty. 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!
Have fun swimming in the pools in the river and just sitting in Cornelius Falls. Well-behaved, properly supervised children age 8 and up able to swim welcome, but parents are responsible for all risks to their children.
Please bring a friend or several if you wish. Please meet at 9:45 a.m. at the Cleveland Chevron. We plan to depart from there at 10:00 a.m.
Information and Trip Leader: Dan Frederick, email southeasternoutings@gmail.com, landline 205/631-4680
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 72-inch-long floats for sale for $23 each and 60-inch-long floats for sale for $15 each 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 or tube at the start point of the river float.
JUNE 27, SATURDAY, 8:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Kayak and Canoe Trip
Where: Chattooga River near Gaylesville, Alabama
Details: This will be Southeastern Outings’ fifth 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. Seventeen Southeastern Outings people participated in our kayak and canoe trip on the Chattooga River on June 23, 2023 and fourteen SEO people participated in our trip there on September 30, 2023.
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 swim and 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:
- solo sit-upon kayaks each $35. Kayak rental fee includes rent of the kayak, life jacket, paddles and shuttle.
- shuttle fee per boat for owned rather than rented boats $15.
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.
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 a $15 fee to shuttle your privately-owned boat used on this outing.
This outfitter does not have canoes to rent. However, Dan Frederick’s daughter, Aree, currently has canoes which she is offering to rent to people who want to canoe on this trip and who do not have their own canoes. The charge for renting a canoe from Aree is $40 per boat. Southeastern Outings will pay the $15 per boat shuttle service fee for people renting canoes from Aree. Again, please notify Dan Frederick, southeasternoutings@gmail.com or phone 205/631-4680 BEFORE June 27 to request a rental canoe if that is what you want. We will do our best to fulfill your request.
All participants must be able to swim to come on this outing!
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 while paddling. 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.
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! And please advise Dan if you plan to meet the group initially at the outfitter’s instead of at the designated Birmingham Area meeting place.
Please meet at 8:45 a.m. at the Applebee’s Restaurant parking lot 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 and Trip Leader: If you have questions or would like additional information about this kayak and canoe trip, please call Dan Frederick, landline 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.
Planned activities for July:
- JULY 4, SATURDAY: Picnic & FREE UAB Band Concert & City of Birmingham Fireworks & SEO Potluck Dessert Party, all at UAB Green, 1600 9th Avenue South, Birmingham
- JULY 11, SATURDAY: Beach Party, Barton’s Beach, Marion, Alabama
- JULY 18, SATURDAY: Kayak and Canoe Trip, Tallapoosa River at Heflin
- JULY 25, SATURDAY: River Float, Locust Fork River from Tony’s Beach to Mt. Olive Road Bridge
