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June and July Activities
JUNE 26, SATURDAY, 8:00 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Kayak and Canoe Trip on Richland Creek, Upper Section, near Prospect, Tennessee
Details: The section we will paddle is easy with few obstructions. This is a scenic stream located in a very rural area. This will be our third trip for Southeastern Outings on this creek. Note, though, that this will be the first time we will have paddled on this Upper Section of Richland Creek. Our two previous trips on this creek have been on the lower section. We used this outfitter on several previous kayak and canoe trips and found the quality of their service to be outstanding!
Novice canoeists are welcome and may come on this trip, but each one must be partnered with an experienced canoeist in their boat.
You are required to bring and wear a mask in the car shuttle taking you from the outfitter’s to the start point and from the end point back to the outfitter’s. You may also wear a mask if you wish at other times during the day.
If you want to rent a kayak or canoe, please call Elk River Adventures
931-468-2444 to reserve your rental boat. When you call to reserve your boat, please be sure to identify yourself as coming with Southeastern Outings on June 26. Please note that the outfitter has 27 canoes, 20 one-person sit-upon kayaks, 18 one-person sit-in kayaks and 5 tandem sit-upon kayaks for rent, so be sure you call to reserve early. Also, very importantly, if you are renting a kayak please be sure to inform the outfitter and Dan whether you want to rent a solo or tandem kayak, and if solo, whether you want to rent a sit in or sit upon kayak. Once all their boats of a particular type are reserved for June 26 by Southeastern Outings people or anyone else, there will be no more boats in that category available to rent from that outfitter!
Boat rental charges are:
Solo kayaks $30
Tandem kayaks $45
Canoes $50
If you rent a boat from this outfitter, the outfitter will take you and your rented boat to the put in and meet you at the take out, so you will never need to transport your rented boat at all. Shuttle fee, paddles, and life jackets are included in boat rental 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.
Shuttle charges are:
Owned kayak $15 per boat
Owned canoe $25 per boat
The outfitter will give everyone a 10% discount off their rates if we bring 15 or more people in our group.
Children able to swim and age 10 and over are welcome.
After the kayak/canoe trip we plan to go for dinner at an excellent 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.
Please meet at 8:00 a.m. at the Hayden/Corner Park and Ride. We plan to depart from there at 8:15 a.m. For more essential information about this trip, please see Note for Kayak and Canoe Trips below.
Reservations Required: You must call Dan Frederick, 205-631-4680 or email seoutings@bellsouth.net 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 this SEO kayak and canoe trip AND you are renting a boat from the outfitter at the site of the trip, you are required to call BOTH the outfitter to reserve your boat AND ALSO contact the trip leader, too, and notify him that you are coming!
If you are planning to meet the group initially at the outfitter’s 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 outfitter’s.
Info. and trip leader: If you have further questions, please call Dan Frederick, 205-631-4680 or email seoutings@bellsouth.net.
JULY 3, 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
JULY 10,
SATURDAY, Meet 8:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Short Dayhike and Glorious Swim at the bottom of
the 102-foot-high DeSoto Falls in DeSoto State Park
Details: Walk through the woods and down a very steep hill in
DeSoto State Park to the huge pool which many of you have seen from above when
at the overlook above 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.
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.
Participants on this hike must: be able and willing to wear
hiking boots or sturdy overland shoes to hike to and from the pool and bring
and wear shorts or swim suits and water shoes for the swim. Sturdy
foot protection is required all day.
Old sneakers work fine for the in-water activities, but please no bare
feet, flimsy beach shoes, flip flops or loose slip-ons for the swim! Please don’t come if you are unwilling to
get wet! Also please do bring a large
plastic bag with twist tie or large Ziploc bag in which to put your wet shoes
and also bring a hand towel to dry your feet before putting your socks and
hiking boots back on for the walk out.
Hiking poles are strongly recommended!
Please
bring water, swimsuit, and any kind of a flotation device you wish. Also please bring a picnic lunch with you
from home. Please do not make 20-30 people wait while you take time to buy
lunch or have your lunch prepared after you arrive at the meeting place at 8:45
a.m.
You are
required to carry your flotation devices deflated
for the walk in and out from the pool.
Dan Frederick will bring one of his float pumps to pump up and deflate
floats at the edge of the pool when we get there.
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. 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.
Please
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
JULY 17, SATURDAY, Meet 8:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings River Beach Party, Swim and Picnic at Barton’s
Beach in Perry County, Alabama
Details: Enjoy a beach party on a beautiful, fine-grained sand
beach in Alabama without having to endure the long drive to and from the Gulf
of Mexico. The area is an extensive
sand beach on the Lower Cahaba River in Perry County next to the Alabama Aquatic Biodiversity Laboratory (formerly
the Marion Fish Hatchery) and Perry Lakes Park near Marion, Alabama. The scenery is spectacular. The floodplain broadens and creates areas of
bottomland hardwood forests, oxbow lakes and extensive sand and gravel bars.
Please
bring swimsuit, towel, picnic lunch and drink with you. Wading shoes with substantial soles are
recommended. You may bring whatever
flotation device you wish on this outing.
Dan will bring a float air pump to the beach. Restrooms are available at Perry Lakes County Park where we’ll
park our cars. The approximate 1/3 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!
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 24, SATURDAY, Meet 9:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Easy River Float, Picnic, Swim, Short, Moderate
Dayhike
Where: Locust Fork from Swann Bridge to Powell Falls near
Cleveland, AL
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.
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 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 Station. 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
JULY 31, SATURDAY, Meet 8:45 a.m.
Southeastern Outings Waterfall Walk, Stream Wade and Long Swims
Where: South Caney Creek in the Bankhead National Forest
Click for More Pictures
Details: Join us for hikes to two beautiful waterfalls on South
Caney Creek. We’ll swim at both of the
falls. These falls are very
lovely. We’ll walk through the woods to
one waterfall, stop 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.
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 completely off trail through the woods 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 the 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 to their cars before the outing is completed. The walk
through the woods portion is completely 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.
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, please bring a towel and change of clothes for dinner.
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, seoutings@bellsouth.net or 205/631-4680
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 kayak 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.
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 boat and what kind 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!
River Float Note
Substantial, fabric-covered, inflatable, vinyl, rectangular floats like you use to ride the waves at the Gulf work best. This year trip leader Dan Frederick finally has 60- inch floats for sale for $15 each ONLY at the start of the river float. 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.
Since we have been unable to locate a source for the 72-inch canvas surf riders for the past 5 or so years, recreational vinyl tubes and truck tire tubes may also be used as your flotation device on this trip
Inflatable boats and spring floats 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 picnic lunch, drink, towel and sunscreen. Pack these items in 2 plastic garbage bags with twist ties, one bag over the other or put your things in a canoe dry bag. Then put the bag or bags in your daypack and strap the pack to your back. This keeps your things dry and prevents them from floating away.
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.
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.
