The principal changes to this event announcement are 1) to advise you that 72-inch long inflatable canvas surf rider floats will not be for sale at the start of this outing since leader has been unsuccessful in finding more of them for sale anywhere and 2) to request that you arrive at the meeting place at 8:45 a.m. in order to depart from there at 9:00 a.m. 

Dear Friends,

You are invited to participate with Southeastern Outings in our next event, an exceptionally beautiful and scenic short dayhike and most of the day swim and float in the huge pool at the bottom of DeSoto Falls in DeSoto State Park near Mentone, Alabama on Saturday, July 15, 2017. 

Included below are descriptive details of the event.

A photo link for the outing is also included for your information.  Please look at the photos so you can see just how extraordinarily lovely this place is!

We hope to see many of you on this real fun activity!

Dan Frederick

JULY 15, SATURDAY, Depart 9:00 a.m.

Southeastern Outings Short Dayhike and Glorious Swim at the bottom of DeSoto Falls in DeSoto State Park

Details: Strenuous walk through the woods and down a short, but very steep hill in DeSoto State Park to the huge pool which many of you have seen from above when at DeSoto Falls.  We’ll be swimming and playing for most of the day in the pool on the West Fork of Little River.  You can also walk and play in the section of the river that flows out from the pool.  It takes only 20 minutes to walk from where we’ll park our cars to the water. All but the last 75 feet or so is simple walking on fairly level ground. BUT the last 75 feet are quite strenuous, requiring some rock and root climbing. So we are rating the hiking portion of this outing as strenuous.

You must be able to swim to participate in this outing!  Well-behaved, properly supervised children age 8 and up welcome, but parents are responsible for all risks to their children. 

Note-To view photos of what we will see on this trip, please click on this link:

https://picasaweb.google.com/117487739902236300578/DeSotoFallsBottom?authuser=0&feat=directlink

            Please be sure to click on the link and view the photographs.

After our swim and float, we’ll walk less than one mile back to the cars and then go for showers and an optional dinner. 

Please bring picnic lunch, water, swimsuit, river shoes and any kind of a flotation device you wish.  See float note below for information about acquiring floats. Dan Frederick will bring his float pump to pump up floats at the edge of the river.  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 be at the Applebee’s Restaurant parking lot in Trussville no later than 8:45 a.m. so that we’ll be ready to depart promptly at 9:00 a.m.  Arriving 15 minutes before departure time will allow time for you to sign in, hear announcements concerning the day’s event and form carpools from the Applebee’s.

Depart 9:00 a.m. from Applebee’s Restaurant Trussville.

Info: David Freeman, 205/305-0935

DIRECTIONS TO MEETING PLACE

Applebee’s Restaurant Trussville (coming from Birmingham)—4711 Norrell Drive, Trussville, AL 35173. I-59 North to Exit #141 (Chalkville Mountain Road Exit). Turn right at end of exit ramp. Drive to first stoplight and turn left. Applebee’s Restaurant is directly behind the McDonald’s on Chalkville Mountain Road.

Float Note

Trip leader Dan Frederick has children’s size floats (60 inches long) for $12 each for sale at the start of this outing.  Please pay either with exact change or a check made out to SEO.  First come, first served.   We regret that at this time we have been unable to find a source where we can buy the 72-inch canvas-covered floats.  Since you will be floating on essentially still water in the pool at the bottom of DeSoto Falls, any kind of a flotation device should be suitable.  We will not be floating down a river, just floating on a huge pool at the bottom of the falls.

DESCRIPTION OF SOUTHEASTERN OUTINGS

Do you wish you had friends who share your active lifestyle and enjoyment of outdoor activities?  Then become active with Southeastern Outings (SEO), a nonprofit organization committed and created to serve people who enjoy being active in the outdoors.  The organization plans, organizes and leads outings such as dayhikes, easy kayak and canoe trips, stream and waterfall walks, bicycle rides, lake events and other fun activities to beautiful sites in our natural environment.  From time to time we also sponsor potluck suppers and other socials.  All events and activities of the group are open to the public.  Participating in SEO activities is a splendid, simple way to make congenial new friends who enjoy the outdoors.  

NO DOGS OR SMOKING ALLOWED, PLEASE, ON ANY SOUTHEASTERN OUTINGS EVENTS.  

The organization currently has over 300 members.  We scheduled eighty-eight events during calendar year 2016 for an average of 7 fun events per month.  We enjoy the outdoors in all seasons throughout the year.  Twenty  people on average have participated in each outing since January 1, 2017.   SEO does not charge for participation in any of its outings.  You do not have to be a member to participate in one or two SEO activities.  Dues are only $10.  Please contact Dan Frederick, President, 205-631-4680, or seoutings@bellsouth.net for more information and to obtain three free monthly newsletters with membership application and a complete description of all our outdoor events.   Southeastern Outings now has a website.  Just go to seoutings.org to find announcements of all our upcoming outings scheduled plus some brief, general information about Southeastern Outings, a membership application and 1500 lovely photographs from several of our outings.   Thank you.