Author Archives: Deb Takach

About Deb Takach

Debra Takach is a retired teacher who volunteers much of her time for worthy causes. She is an avid hiker and professional story teller. She is CPR AED Wilderness Remote First Aid Certified and has had Hike Leadership Training.

Duncannon Outdoor Club April 19th Hike

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DOC LogoOn Sat., April 19th the Duncannon Outdoor Club will be hiking at the Wildwood Nature Center in search of Red-winged Blackbirds, Bluebirds and Wood Thrushes.  The hike will be an average paced three mile loop on easy terrain.  Bring water, a snack, and binoculars.  We will meet at the Duncannon Family Health Center to carpool.  Call 834-9216 or email dtakach@duncannonatc.org to register.  Children are invited to attend provided they can go the distance and are accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Vernal Ponds and Jefferson Salamanders Hike

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DOC LogoIt was a great day, a little windy, but you couldn’t ask for better weather and trail conditions.  We even got to hike on moss!  Just the week before the trails were covered in snow and ice making footing very precarious.  The vernal  pond was not frozen over making observation easy with no sign that the Jefferson Salamander had been there.  It has not been quite warm enough yet for them to migrate.  We also stopped at the non-vernal pond and had a little discussion about toads and frogs.  There was a little excitement on the way back when one of the puppies got loose, but the kids made a mad dash and caught the dog. Continue reading →

Berry Mountain Hike and Hypothermia

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DOC LogoWell, we finally had our Berry Mountain hike after canceling once, having no place to park and another winter storm threatening another cancellation.  A few days prior to the hike I checked out the trailhead parking which was under 3 feet of snow.  There were two men there plowing the road, so I batted my big brown eyes explaining my dilemma.  They were wonderful and plowed the parking lot for us.  That just left the threatening weather forecast to deal with.  I said a little prayer and the storm never came.  So the hike was a go!

We had a total of 10 hikers to start, but one missed us at the trailhead, ran, and caught up with us at the top in time to see the beautiful view and take in the surprise that was mentioned on Meet Up.

Once on the mountaintop we took a few moments to discuss hypothermia, a body temperature below 95 degrees F.  The most important thing to know about hypothermia is how to prevent it in the first place. Continue reading →