60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Pittsburgh: Including Allegheny and Surrounding Counties - Softcover

Ruff, Donna L.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0897325915 ISBN 13: 9780897325912

Verlag: Menasha Ridge Press, 2006

Inhaltsangabe

It's Time to Take a Hike in Pittsburgh!

From a city of smokestacks to a city of culture, technology, and trees, Pittsburgh's revitalized city parks, abundant state parks, tranquil state forests, and enhanced riverfronts offer endless opportunities to hike and explore. Donna L. Ruff's 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Pittsburgh has something for explorers of every ability and interest. Diverse hikes include Frick Park, which can be combined with a visit to the Frick Art and Historical Center (free); Ohiopyle State Park, with views of the beautiful Youghiogheny River and Cucumber Falls; Beechwood Farms, where kids and adults can opt to participate in nature programs and walks; and Mt. Davis Natural Area, where hikers can stand on the highest point in Pennsylvania. History buffs will love Bushy Run and its museum and other historical site/hike combinations. Those seeking solitude will relish time spent walking in lovely Todd Sanctuary or one of the scenic and tranquil destinations of Forbes State Forest. Beautiful river, lake, waterfall, mountain, wildflower, and historical walks are all in your backyard. From the city's riverbanks to the Laurel Highland mountains of the south and southwest to the lakes and meadows of the north and northwest, every hiker will find trails to their liking in 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Pittsburgh.

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Donna L. Ruff was born in Pittsburgh and, although a lifetime resident of her hometown, has hiked, biked, climbed, skied, and tested her skills in mountaineering in many parts of the world. She has a special passion for hiking in southwestern Pennsylvania, not only because it is her home but also because of its diverse and enchanting beauty. A writer by trade, Ruff spends as much of her spare time as possible away from the computer and in what she calls the real world, that is, the natural world. Over the years she has been an active member of the American Youth Hostels and the Explorer’s Club of Pittsburgh, where she has established valuable friendships with like-minded outdoor enthusiasts. Her travels have extended to many other countries and are typically planned around hiking, climbing, mountaineering, and volunteer work.

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BUSHY RUN HISTORY LOOP

• LENGTH: 1 mile
• CONFIGURATION: Loop
• DIFFICULTY: Easy
• SCENERY: Ligonier Blue Rock marker, Bushy Run battlefield; eastern hemlock, oak, birch, and dogwood trees
• EXPOSURE: Mostly shaded
• TRAFFIC: Moderate
• TRAIL SURFACE: Dirt
• HIKING TIME: 1 hour
• ACCESS: The park is open year-round, Wednesday–Sunday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; see Nearby Attractions (following the Description) for visitor’s center and museum hours
• MAPS: Overview maps with information about stops on the various trails are available at the visitor’s center at no charge; USGS Irwin and Greensburg
• FACILITIES: Restroom facilities are available near the parking lot and inside the visitor’s center; picnic pavilion is located by the parking lot.
• SPECIAL COMMENTS: There is an admission charge for the museum: adults, $3; seniors and groups, $2.50; children ages 6–17, $2 (visitor’s center is free).

Bushy Run History Loop

UTM Zone (WGS84) 17T

Easting 616721

Northing 4468483

DIRECTIONS

From Pittsburgh, take Interstate 376 East to the Murrysville exit. Follow PA 22 East through Murrysville and make a right onto Harrison City Export Road. Make a left at the T onto PA 993 and follow to the left into Bushy Run.

IN BRIEF

Bushy Run is perfect for history buffs, families, and anyone who enjoys a pleasant hike. Combining a tour of the museum inside the visitor’s center with a hike through history makes a great way to spend a few hours in the morning or afternoon.

DESCRIPTION

Before hitting the trail, learn about the role of the Bushy Run Battlefield during Pontiac’s War in 1763. The Bushy Run Museum is a very good way to begin, and, although not large, it houses enough interesting artifacts to be worth paying the small fee. There are even some interactive displays where children (or adults if they have a mind to) can dress in some of the uniform garb of the soldiers and are encouraged to touch some of the other items on display.

If you would like to visit the museum during docent hours, when a guide is available, call ahead. The docent that caught up with me provided additional insight into the history of both the battle and the area, and her guidance provided enjoyable conversation. I learned, for example, that a man had to have one bottom and one top front tooth that lined up in his mouth to qualify for service in the American provincial army. Why? So he could bite the end of the paper gun- powder pouch off, hence the common saying “Bite the bullet.” With the help of the docent, I also learned that the beautifully chiseled stone relief found in the great room of the museum came from one of Pittsburgh’s bridge renovations and that there is a mistake in it: Native Americans are depicted riding on horses, which were not found in this area at the time of Pontiac’s War.

Once you have completed your indoor history tour, choose a trail. This description is the hike on the Edge Hill Trail, which circles the main battlefield area. Step out of the visitor’s center and to the right a short way. Look to your left for a pair of steps and descend them all the way to the bottom for the Edge Hill Trail. Before starting, though, try to place yourself in the predicament of that time. Posts on the trail will guide you on this journey through time.

The roots of Pontiac’s War lie in the broken Treaty of Easton. The British had agreed to guarantee the Native Americans a homeland west of the Allegheny Mountains, free from the encroaching settlements that brought with them the loss of land and two of the greatest threats to the Native Americans at that time―smallpox and measles. The treaty also aimed to guarantee the halt of alcohol trade with Native Americans. It was thought that their bodies were unable to adapt to the drug, and many lives were lost to its effect. Even though the Native Americans had kept their part of the treaty, which was to stop hostilities against the British and to offer their assistance as scouts to the French, the British failed the Native Americans. Consequently, Chief Pontiac, the great warrior and orator, united many tribes, including those of the Great Lakes, and began the well-organized war with an attack on the British-held Fort Detroit on May 8, 1763. Within two months Native Americans controlled an immense land area from Michigan to Pennsylvania.

On June 2, 1763, a party from a local tribe warned the owners of a Bushy Run way station (the Byerly family) to abandon it or be killed in four days. The station was abandoned and burned to the ground, but it remained the destination of Colonel Henry Bouquet and 450 soldiers on their way to defend Fort Pitt. Thus it happened that on August 5, 1763, Bouquet and his soldiers were attacked and forced to retreat to a hilltop from which the battle resumed early in the morning on August 6. Turn left and walk to Post 1.

Native Americans controlled the valley surrounding this area after forcing the British troops to retreat using a horseshoe-shaped formation and hit-and-run tactics. Walking along the wide path toward Post 2, you’ll notice the many pine needles mixed with the debris of the deciduous forest. From written accounts of the 1700s, this area was covered with a mature virgin forest consisting of oaks and chestnut trees, often six to seven feet in diameter. Their size provided a canopy that prevented much sunlight from reaching the forest floor. Although those trees have been cut down, the surrounding eastern hemlocks, oaks, and birch trees simulate the shaded environment of long ago. However, the fields and dense brush seen here today would not have been a factor in the forest battlefield in 1763.

Continue on, passing Post 3, and note that the tradition of carving names in trees, although seeming to offer timelessness to the carver, is deadly to the trees themselves. The stone quarry at Post 4 is a remnant of the changing times. The British won the battle of Bushy Run, and Pontiac’s War eventually failed the Native Americans. Thus, quarries such as this sandstone excavation into the hillside became more common as settlers used the natural surroundings to provide shelter in the form of homes and other buildings. Take a rest on the bench at this pretty spot if you like as your hike continues with a slight upgrade before leveling out at the battle- field area.

When you’re ready, continue along, watching carefully for a right as you near Bouquet’s Road (Post 5), a southern fork of Forbes Road, which Colonel Bouquet used instead of the main Forbes Road in hopes that it would speed his troops’ journey. Turn right before reaching PA 993 (Bushy Run Road). There are no clear indicators to show the location of Post 6, but to get to it stay left near Bushy Run Road and walk to the large oak tree; the post is at the oak tree. It is at Post 6 that, according to a survey map created in 1765, Colonel Bouquet’s convoy was maintained. Turn right and head to the large blue rock surrounded by a wrought iron fence; this is Post 7.

This is a slice of Ligonier “Blue Rock” and it marks the site where Colonel Bouquet and his soldiers erected a defense using flour sacks to protect the wounded; some stuffed flour sacks lay near the marker. Look at the plaques within the wrought iron fence to review a relief map of the battlefield and letters written by Colonel Bouquet about what was occurring at the time, as well as a historical summary. It was at this spot that the British troops both had a visual advantage and a water disadvantage. It’s also the location from which British companies maneuvered to flank the Native Americans by feigning a retreat and then swinging back to chase the exposed Native Americans into the woods.

When finished, look to the left of the woods for a faint sign of a path in the grass. This is the direction to walk, not into the...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Menasha Ridge Press
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2006
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0897325915
• ISBN 13: 9780897325912
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Auflage: 1
• Anzahl der Seiten: 288
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Nicht verfügbar