Today's Presidents Day holiday might mean a little more to area residents than just an excuse to shop sales.

That's because founding father George Washington walked these hills, and this weekend, hikers will retrace the steps Washington and small group of scouts took in 1753 on an expedition that marked the start of the French and Indian War and that nearly cost Washington his life.

On Saturday at Jennings Environmental Education Center in Brady Township, guides in period uniforms and garb will lead hikes and tell the story of our first president's adventures in Butler County.

But while county residents may be united in admiration of the man, not everyone agrees about where exactly it was that Washington walked.

Washington, then a 21-year-old major in the Virginia militia, was sent to near Lake Erie with a letter requesting that the French end their occupation of the area. In October, 1753, he left Virginia.

During his expedition, Washington made allies of Native American tribes and gathered intelligence on French troop movements and forts.

He also delivered the request, which was denied, and he returned to Virginia, while facing all manner of challenges from freezing weather and rain to nearly being shot by a Native American loyal to the French.

He recorded his expedition in a journal and became famous throughout the colonies when it was published.

In 2003, blue-and-white Washington's Trail markers were erected commemorating the journey and designating the paths where historians believe Washington may have walked.

Rodney Gasch, president of Historic Harmony and a volunteer with Washington's Trail 1753, said the markers were placed based on primary documents and extensive research.

“We know quite a bit because both Washington and his guide, (Christopher) Gist, wrote journals,” he said. In addition, Gasch said the group used Paul A.W. Wallace's book, “Indian Paths of Pennsylvania,” to better understand the possible routes.

But even with these resources, it's not been easy.

“There's a certain amount of guesswork,” he said.

A lot of the trails seem to conveniently follow current roads.

“The truth of it is, those Indian paths became pioneer paths then got widened and made into roads,” Gasch said.

Last year, the National Park Service toured several of the sites along Washington's Trail 1753's route to possibly begin the process of declaring it a National Historic Trail.

If the Park Service chooses to go ahead, it could lead to a vote by Congress on whether or not to give the trail a national designation. However, this could take up to five years.

Meanwhile, some in the region have their doubts.

Carl Robertson, a historian in Jackson Township, argues Washington's path does not line up with any of the routes that most people in the area think of as his route.

He believes Native American maps and culture, religion in particular, give some clues about where they would go and where their trails would have to be.

Unfortunately, as of now there is no source that can definitively end the debate.

Regardless of who ultimately wins the fight over Washington's path in Butler County, this week's hiking event will not be on those controversial trails that Washington and his men may or may not have walked.

“For this, we sort of simulate the experience,” said Gasch. “We're not saying Washington walked on these trails.”

In addition, hikers will be led by guides who will read scripts filled with historical information and stories.

The event also will feature informational displays, presentations and a reenactor's camp to illustrate what life was like for Washington and his men as they made their way through the wilderness.

WHAT: Cherry Pie and Washington’s Trail 1753 HikesWHEN: 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. SaturdayWHERE: Jennings Environmental Education Center, 2951 Prospect Drive, Brady TownshipINFO: Choose from 10 different hikes that focus on exercise (seven miles), or nature or history. History hikers will see the reenactment of the musket shot that almost killed Washington as a young man traveling through Western Pennsylvania in 1753.DEADLINE: Reserve hiking spot by Thursday at http://events.dcnr.pa.gov/search