Cherry Pie Hike registrations close Thursday
Registrations for the Cherry Pie Hike will close Thursday.
The Saturday event, which celebrates President George Washington’s 290th birthday and his 1753 trek through Butler County, will occur at the Jennings Environmental Education Center, 2951 Prospect Road, Slippery Rock.
Those who attend can meet re-enactors portraying Washington, his guide Christopher Gist and the numerous Native Americans whom Washington met along the journey.
Washington volunteered when he was 21 to deliver an ultimatum to French forces on behalf of Virginia’s lieutenant governor, demanding they withdraw from land west of the Allegheny Mountains that Britain claimed to itself.
During his journey, Washington encountered two incidents that nearly ended his life: The first was a musket shot widely considered to be the first shot of the French and Indian War, and the second was when he fell into the freezing Allegheny River near Washington’s Landing in Pittsburgh.
Hikers can choose from 10 guided hikes and walks to commemorate Washington’s trip and birthday, although spots are limited and registration is required. These include six history walks, roughly half-hour hikes beginning at 9:30 a.m.; three nature walks, which are 75-minute hikes offered at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.; and one lengthier seven-mile hike beginning at 9 a.m.
To register, those interested may reserve a spot on the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resource website, events.dcnr.pa.gov, by searching “Cherry Pie.” A $3 cash donation is required, which will be collected at the park and give hikers access to both the guided walks and the namesake cherry pie.
