Segment 2 – Tel Hai to Yiftah * (south to north) with Al-Hashvil, guided by Avi Farjioun
To reduce the climbs and increase the descents, the direction of our second hike on the Israel Trail, from Tel Hai to Yiftah, was inverted. To simplify logistics, the group gathered in the parking lot of the Tel Hai national monument, and a bus took us to the starting point of our hike in the Hills of Naftali.
Earlier, at the meeting point, I told our guide Avi that I would be happy to serve as the rearguard once again. Logistics manager and escort Omri set a channel on the walkie-talkie and handed it to me without ado. I sensed some amusement, or perhaps urgency, in giving me the device before I could change my mind.
The hike began easily on a wide and flat dirt road, Derech Nof Naftali, overlooking the Hula valley.
We hiked several kilometers before stopping for our morning snack break, with herbal tea provided by Omri.
As we scanned the landscape, Avi described the geography and geology of the Jordan Rift Valley (Bik’at HaYarden). To give us a sense of scale, Avi compared the age of the earth to 365 days on a calendar, in which one day is the equivalent of one million years. If we were to say the earth was formed on January 1, then the movement of the tectonic plates and the formation of the Jordan Rift Valley occurred in late December. (Hope I got that right.)
We continued briefly on Derech Nof Naftali. Then the Israel Trail branches left, and we ascended for about a kilometer to our next stopping point – the midway terminal of the Manara Cliff cable car. Once an active and busy tourist location, the Manara attractions and facilities are now neglected and unused due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our hike continued for several more kilometers, and included another vista point overlooking Kiryat Shemona. Mostly easy walking and talking.
Before we could reach our lunch break destination, we had to tackle a steep hill. “Six minutes of climbing,” I believe Avi called it. But for me, it would take longer. As the rearguard, I paused for anyone who stopped at the back. Although they often urged me not to wait, I paused and waited for pulse rates to come down. I spoke words of encouragement. Sometimes I called Avi and Omri on the walkie-talkie to give a status report.
During lunch Avi asked us to introduce ourselves and state where we live, with the idea of helping us connect for future carpooling. Meanwhile, many of us had already chatted and played Jewish/Israeli geography, also known as “1-degree of separation”. However, since I have been at the back of the pack, the people who tend to hike up at the front were (and still are) relative strangers to me.
After lunch, the landscape became bleak, as the trail crossed a vast swath of burnt forest, destroyed just a few months ago. We saw logging crews and heavy equipment busy clearing the destruction and working to restore the forest. The trail slowly descended, and eventually we returned to green forest. It felt like a veil of gloom had been lifted away.
After the final descent, just south of Kfar Giladi, the trail narrowed and softened. It cut through thick vegetation, requiring us to walk mostly single-file. Tia was delighted. I called it the dessert (yes, the sweet) portion of the hike. Avi said it’s a shame the nearby quarry makes it so dusty.
Still more trail to hike. We headed down a path, and then up a short steep hill. At our final rest stop, Avi told us the story of Joseph Trumpeldor and the Battle of Tel Hai – the true(r) version, and not just the legend.
Not quite finished, we had a series of steps to climb to reach our final destination. Tia was not a happy camper, but pushed onward stoically. Others struggled. Eventually, the group reached the Tel Hai lion, the memorial representing the eight Jews who died at Tel Hai in 1920.
We posed for the obligatory group photo. Avi led us in some well-needed stretching exercises. We said goodbyes to our new friends, and headed home.
Postscript: According to Avi, no one ever volunteers to serve as rearguard for a second time. When he shared this piece of information during his summation at Tel Hai, he led the group in giving me a round of applause.
The complete set of my photos, in a Flickr album: Israel Trail Hike 2021-10-28
