Tzur Hadassah to Netiv HaLamed Hei
with Al–Hashvil, guided by Hadar Israeli
Photo album: Israel Trail Hike 2025-05-08
It’s early May and heat waves are now rolling in, adding to the challenge of hiking the Israel Trail. Fortunately, this segment was mostly downhill, and not particularly difficult. Surprisingly, the highlights of the hike were in the places where our guide led us off the currently designated route of the Israel Trail.
The first hour or so of our hike followed power lines and power poles. The vistas would have been lovelier without them.
A tightly packed grove of Washingtonian palm trees is a landmark on the trail. I recall stopping here for picnics on jeep trips many years ago. While the canopy is green, the trunks have been scorched by fire. The trees along the perimeter have been vandalized with graffiti. Signs warn of danger and prohibit entrance to the grove.
Taking a detour off the trail, our guide Hadar treated us to some special sites.
An enormous eucalyptus tree (or possibly two) growing horizontally and creating a bridge over the path.
We slid down into the Nahal Zanoah streambed, and reached a hidden water hole that is fed by the Tanoor spring (עין תנור).
Unfortunately we did not have flashlights or headlamps. So we did not attempt to walk more than a few steps into the 12-meter arched tunnel. We did not want to risk stepping into water that we could not see.
Getting back to the path involved some serious, and silly, maneuvering through a tangled web of fig trees.
Emerging into the light, we completely turned away from the current route of Israel Trail, and climbed up to Horvat Hanot.
This archeological site was a way-station along the ancient Roman road ascending from the Mediterranean coast and leading to Jerusalem. We stopped here for lunch. The comfort of picnic tables and the coolness of the shade on a very hot day made it hard for us to resume our hike.
The final portion of our hike followed the older route of the Israel Trail and the “old” Emperor’s Road, a Roman road with hewn steps built during the reign of Hadrian. (This part of the trail has been discontinued because it crosses a very busy highway, and a “new” Emperor’s Road has been designated). Some years ago, when doing a self-led hike on the Israel Trail with friends, we were so busy chatting that we strayed onto a different path and missed the Emperor’s Road entirely. So I was very happy to finally see it.
The landscape is already dry and turning brown. But pops of color suprised us now and then.
Hopefully, I’ve got the names correct. From left to right:
אירוס ארם נהריים – Mesopotamian iris
צבר מצוי – sabra, prickly pear flower
חוחן – thistle. And note the green translucent beetle sitting on it (hat-tip to Adi for spotting it!)
Photo album: Israel Trail Hike 2025-05-08
