hiking in Israel Archives - Page 4 of 6

When Old Friends Go Walking and Talking

3 December 2013

Segment 24 – Horvat Hanot to Azeka Junction * The feedback after our last hike on the Israel Trail a month ago encouraged me to organize another outing as soon as possible. The selected date, during the Hanukkah holiday, was problematic for some and convenient for others. I decided to go with the earlier date, and save the following one as a rain date. Turned out there was no need to postpone; the weather was ideal for hiking. But since we've not yet had any significant rainfall this year, the trail was dry, and I spent much of the day searching for some color to photograph. Our hiking group consisted of long-time friends, whose friendships go as far back as school days and army service (aside from Miri and Shlomo being siblings). A chatty bunch. Delightful company. Before starting the…

Good to Be Back on the Israel Trail

1 November 2013

Segment 24 – Even Sapir to Horvat Hanot * On just a week's notice, I gathered a small group of hiking friends, and took to the Israel Trail once again. We picked up the trail near Moshav Even Sapir, just outside Jerusalem, where we had finished a previous hike some two years ago. The autumn day was crisp and comfortable for hiking, and provided clear vistas as we traversed the hills and valleys. The first segment of our hike was along the Springs Trail in the Aminadav forest. We passed many springs and pools, some dry and others filled with water. Definitely a place to return to on a hot summer day for a refreshing dip. A view of Hadassah Hospital (Ein Kerem) from the trail. Playing peek-a-boo in the rock formations. Upon reaching Horvat Saadim, a small nature reserve noted for…

March in May on the Israel Trail

29 May 2011

Segment 12 – Alon Hagalil to outskirts of Tivon * Rain in Israel on the last weekend in May?! Almost unheard of, but that's the kind of weather we've been experiencing this year. Thunder and heavy rain had woken us at 5 a.m., just before the alarm clock. As we drove north, the rain continued on and off. The forecast was for scattered showers as well as sunshine and high temperatures. We expected the latter to prevail at this late spring date. We met and began our hike on the Israel Trail at the entrance to Alon Hagalil. Just as we started, a wave of rain rolled in, and we scrambled back into our cars. Within a few minutes the downpour changed to a drizzle, and we started off again. As we hiked through the Alonim forest, the rain alternately got…

Welcoming Winter on the Israel Trail

4 January 2011

Segment 28 – Dvir(a) to Sansana * "The way you spend New Years is the way you'll spend the rest of the year." A friend of mine posted that message on Facebook on New Year's day. If that message is true, well then, I can expect to be doing a lot more hiking on the Israel Trail this year, and in the company of wonderful friends. Despite last minute cancellations from my regular hiking companions, and the threat of rain, I did not want to postpone this hike a second time. As long as we had two cars, to park one at each end of the segment, we were good to go. Unlike our previous outing on the trail with 19 hikers, this time we were just five, and that was just fine! Yuval and I were joined by…

Ups and Downs on the Israel Trail

23 November 2010

Segments 23 - Shoevah to Even Sapir * Although November is almost over, Israel has not yet received any significant rainfall this autumn. Our weather concern for this hiking day was not if it would be cold and wet, but rather how hot it might be. Faced with such conditions, I decided the best segment for today's hike on the Israel National Trail would be the ascent to Jerusalem. I hoped to enjoy the greenery and shade of the forests, and to find water in the spring-fed pools marked on the map. Since this segment is the closest the Israel Trail gets to Jerusalem, it was a natural decision to hike the trail in an "ascent to Jerusalem". But we had plenty of descents as well. We began our hike in Shoevah, the same place we began a hike…

Turn, Turn, Turn – A New Season on the Israel Trail

3 October 2010

Segment 19 - Tel Afek to Tel Aviv, along the Yarkon River * September 25, 2010. Officially it's now autumn. Our clocks have already been switched to winter (standard) time. But judging from the extreme and unbearable heat, it is still summer. That made it tough to be on the Israel Trail during the week of Succot, but we were eager to get back into the hiking mode. To begin our hiking season I selected a easy segment close to home, along the Yarkon river. I gave Yuval the choice of direction. He prefered to end the hike in Ramat Hahayal where ice-cream and frozen yoghurt shops would await us. Our group comprised just 10 hikers, mostly core members and a couple guests, after several last-minute cancellations. We began our hike just outside the Tel Afek National Park, at the Rosh HaAyin train station, shortly before 8 a.m. The sky was overcast and the air…

Israel Trail 2009-2010 Recap

4 July 2010

Despite a 2-month suspension of hiking due to my retinal detachment in November, we completed 10 hikes on the Israel National Trail this (academic) year for a total of about 140 kilometers. It's hard to be exact on the distance measurement. I activate the GPS recording when we commence walking, and stop it when we reach the end of the hike. Sometimes our hikes include a kilometer or more on a "connector" trail to the point where we pick up the Israel Trail. I've also accidentally paused recording a few times, and have had to estimate the length of the unrecorded segment. It's really not critical. Eventually we will have bragging rights to 940 kilometers - the official distance of the trail. So far, we've done about 200. Three of our regular hiker couples went off -- independently of…

Flash Mob on the Israel Trail

1 June 2010

Segment 14 – Meir Sh'feya to Kerem Maharal (Hof HaCarmel) * Where is the best place to hike once hot weather has descended on the land? Yuval suggested the shore. Ruti wanted shade. I knew we needed a shorter-than-usual distance. After considering everyone's preferences, I selected the southern half of the "Finger Cave to Har Horshan" segment from south-to-north. The reversal of direction did not save us any climbs, as the path had both ups and downs. But it allowed us to hike in the open areas earlier in the morning when the air was still on the cool side, and to enjoy the shade of the forest as the day heated up later on. The beach was just a few minutes drive from our end point, giving us the option of a swim at the end of the…

Celebrations on the Israel Trail

2 May 2010

Segment 23 – Shaar Hagai to Sho’evah (Shoresh) * We should have celebrated an anniversary on the trail yesterday, but I didn't realize it until last night. Exactly one year ago (May 2, 2009) I began my journey on the Israel National Trail. Over the year, my hiking group has evolved and established a pace and rhythm that suits our personalities and physical abilities. It has been such a pleasure and a success! May our adventures continue! After checking the weather forecast and the route topography, Yuval and I planned a "standard" 15-kilometer route on the Israel Trail for our hiking group, from Sho'evah (Shoresh) to Shaar Hagai. We also decided to formally adopt the philosophy of hiking each segment in the direction that is easiest on the hikers, rather than conforming strictly to a north-to-south progression. That meant today's hike was mostly downhill, although it did include one long tough climb. Close…

Farewell to Spring on the Israel Trail

19 April 2010

Segments 6-7 – Lower Nahal Amud to Migdal * Only two weeks had elapsed since our last hike on the Israel National Trail. But we took to the trail again to catch the springtime greenery and blossoms before they dry and fade away for the summer. Once again it was a hot day, but the 9 hearty hikers who showed up were ready and eager for another adventure. After leaving one car at the gas station in Migdal, we drove to the gas station at Kedarim, where we parked our other cars, enjoyed a good cup of Segafredo coffee, and then headed for the trail. Note: I plan the hiking route and prepare the maps, which I put in Yuval's hands. Yuval is responsible for keeping us on course since I take photos continuously during the hikes and am liable to miss…