Alabama Rivers Alliance for August Meeting
On Thursday night, August 20, Cindy Lowry from the Alabama River's Alliance will present a program on efforts to develop a water management plan for our state that will help ensure the availability of water during dry summer months when the state is under drought conditions and for the long term future of our state.
Meetings start at 6:00pm and will be in the training room of the National Children’s Advocacy Center at 210 Pratt Avenue. This is at the corner of Pratt and Meridian streets. North Alabama Sierra Club meetings are open to everyone. Come join us!
What An Outings Leader Wants You To Know
You see a listing for a hike you want to do, so you show up that morning, join the group and go. Easy right? Well there is a lot of thought and planning that goes on before each outing. Below are some thoughts from an experienced outings leader to help explain what goes into planning a hike and why we do things a certain way.
1. We are Volunteers. Following in John Muir’s footsteps, we want you to get you outdoors to Explore, Enjoy, and if the need ever arises, be inclined to Protect. What makes us different from other groups/organizations is that we’re required to receive periodic training (Leadership, First Aid, etc/etc/etc).
2. We have a liability waiver for you to fill out and sign. That includes an emergency contact number that can be potentially provided to medical personnel when every second counts.
3. We write descriptive announcements with a rating (easy/moderate/strenuous) to help you decide if an outing is suitable for your skill set. Our ratings are different than other groups/organizations so pay attention to our definitions, not theirs.
4. If you have a question about an outing, contact us well in advance. We too need our sleep the night before so may not see your email and or receive a telephone message at the 11th hour.
5. Use common sense when it comes to weather and check our Face Book page for last minute cancelations. Your safety is our primary concern.
6. If our write-up states we are leaving the parking lot at 8:00 a.m., that means we are leaving the parking lot at 8:00 a.m. If you’d like to join us, arrive 10 to 15 minutes early, especially if you want to ride-share, need driving directions, or don’t want to stand in the parking lot/at the trailhead, alone.
7. We do follow State Park, Wilderness Area, etc, regulations. If you want your dog, puma or alligator off- leash and the Park/etc rules state otherwise, we will follow their rule. Ask a Leader in advance if it’s ok to bring your four-legged friend.
8. Since we conduct group outings, we stay together as a group. This usually means a Leader in the front, a co-leader/sweep in the back, and everyone else in-between. We do have an early sign-out if you misunderstood the nature of the outing or want to proceed solo.
9. Even though we have enquiring minds, we can’t ease drop on everyone’s conversations. If someone is making you feel uncomfortable, please let us know as quickly as possible. If we know, we can act upon it.
10. Again, we are Volunteers and have not only taken our time to train and plan an outing, we have just spent an evening, a day, or a weekend with you. Please take a moment to say Thank You. That is our reward.
- Tom Burley
Reminder of Slower Paced Tuesday Night Hike
Just a reminder that we have added a second Tuesday night hike on Monte Sano. This hike is at a slower pace for those who prefer a more relaxed hike and it is great for beginning hikers. Both hikes will meet at the same time and place as usual - 6:00pm sharp at the hiker's parking lot in Monte Sano State Park. Come join us and bring a friend!
Alabama Sierra Club Annual Retreat October 23-25
Explore, Enjoy, Protect… on 440 acres at the beautiful Living River Center on the Cahaba River. The focus will be on outings with experienced guides, hands-on learning, and exploring the beauty of the river and surrounding area. There will be opportunities to hike, bird, hunt for fossils, and canoe the Cahaba. Lodging and meals will be available on site. Look for your registration form coming soon!
The Sierra Club Online
web - http://www.sierraclub.org/alabama/north-alabama
email - na.sierraclub@gmail.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/254833822112/
Outings
Hike Ratings
Easy - Less than 5 miles, no serious elevation changes, no trail obstacles.
Moderate - 5 to 10 miles, some elevation changes or rough trail (rock hopping), or trail obstacles such as creek crossings.
Strenuous - Over 10 miles, substantial elevation change, rocky, obstructed or nonexistent trail.
Exploratory - any event where the leader has not experienced the event; may fit any class above.
Note. Participants of Sierra Club outings are required to sign a waiver.
Tuesday, July 28 - Monte Sano Evening Hike. Moderate.
Depart at 6:00pm sharp from the Monte Sano State Park Hikers’ parking lot on Nolen Avenue. There is a small fee to enter the park and all dogs must be on a leash while in the parking lot and during the hike. Though not strenuous, hikes may be vigorous and range from 3 to 5 miles. For directions or questions contact Alan Greene at agreene256@comcast.net
NOTE: There will also be an optional easy hike for new hikers or those that prefer an easier slower hike. 6:00pm - meet at the Monte Sano State Park Hikers’ parking lot. For further information contact Liz at hiker@knology.net
Tuesday, Aug 4 - Monte Sano Evening Hike. Moderate.
Depart at 6:00pm sharp from the Monte Sano State Park hikers’ parking lot on Nolen Avenue. There is a small fee to enter the park and all dogs must be on a leash while in the parking lot and during the hike. Though not strenuous, hikes may be vigorous and range from 3 to 5 miles. For directions or questions contact Carolyn Brooks at dr_c_brooks@msn.com
NOTE: There will also be an optional easy hike for new hikers or those that prefer an easier slower hike. For further information contact Michael Stewart 256-656-5836.
Saturday, Aug 8 - Monte Sano Morning Hike. Easy.
10:00 am. Hike will be approx. 4 miles. Depart at 10:00am from the Monte Sano State Park Hiker’s parking lot on Nolen Avenue. There is a small fee to enter the park and all dogs must be on a leash. Bring plenty of water and maybe a snack. For directions or questions contact Liz at hiker@knology.net
Tuesday, Aug 11 - Monte Sano Evening Hike. Moderate.
Depart at 6:00pm sharp from the Monte Sano State Park hikers’ parking lot on Nolen Avenue. There is a small fee to enter the park and all dogs must be on a leash while in the parking lot and during the hike. Though not strenuous, hikes may be vigorous and range from 3 to 5 miles. For directions or questions contact David Jackson at 256-603-9081.
NOTE: There will also be an optional easy hike for new hikers or those that prefer an easier slower hike. For further information contact Liz at hiker@knology.net
Tuesday, Aug 18 - Monte Sano Evening Hike. Moderate.
Depart at 6:00 pm sharp from the Monte Sano State Park hikers’ parking lot on Nolen Avenue. There is a small fee to enter the park and all dogs must be on a leash while in the parking lot and during the hike. Though not strenuous, hikes may be vigorous and range from 3 to 5 miles. For directions or questions contact Rick Gates at rgates@knology.net
NOTE: There will also be an optional easy hike for new hikers or those that prefer an easier slower hike. For further information contact Michael Stewart 256-656-5836.
Saturday, Aug 22 - Fiery Gizzard Dayhike. Strenuous.
This may be the one of the last opportunities to hike perhaps one of the most diverse and beautiful trails in Tennessee as the current landowner is planning on closing access to the trail on December 1. The terrain is steep and extremely rocky. We will follow the Fiery Gizzard passing the 500-year-old hemlock, Blue Hole Falls, Sycamore Falls, and the Fruit Bowl rock formation before beginning our arduous climb to Raven Point a spectacular overlook and return via the Doghole Trail. The hike is about ten miles and definitely strenuous. Bring lunch and water and we will dine afterwards at a local restaurant. Meet at 8:00am at the Publix on Winchester Road. For more information contact Tom Burley at tdburleyhiker@bellsouth.net RAIN CANCEL
Saturday, Aug 22 - Monte Sano Morning Hike. Easy.
10:00am. Hike will be approx. 4 miles. Depart at 10:00am from the Monte Sano State Park Hiker’s parking lot on Nolen Avenue. There is a small fee to enter the park and all dogs must be on a leash. Bring plenty of water and maybe a snack. For directions or questions contact Liz at hiker@knology.net
Tuesday, Aug 25 - Monte Sano Evening Hike. Moderate.
Depart at 6:00pm sharp from the Monte Sano State Park hikers’ parking lot on Nolen Avenue. There is a small fee to enter the park and all dogs must be on a leash while in the parking lot and during the hike. Though not strenuous, hikes may be vigorous and range from 3 to 5 miles. For directions or questions contact Pete Luther at pluther@knology.net
NOTE: There will also be an optional easy hike for new hikers or those that prefer an easier slower hike. For further information contact Liz at hiker@knology.net
Saturday, Aug 29 - Limrock Blowing Cave. Strenuous. Limrock Blowing Cave, a SSCi property, is a 3-mile-long stream cave with a large walking passage, pretty rooms, and nice formations. Join myself with our SSCi guide, Jennifer Pinkley, for an adventure down under. Group size is limited. Although cave experience isn't required, this is for strenuous hikers only. For more info, contact Sandy at sandykip@otelco.net