The Enchanted Forest
Moed Bet for the hike Ofer to Nahal Oren - March 18, 2014
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We were a bit nervous when we began the hike because of the experience of the first group, so we obsessively followed the trail blazes throughout the hike. The first segment was up and down through a forest (thus name of the hike) which really was enchanting! So much so that Chaim just went back there a couple days later with his wife!
We hugged Route 4 the whole way north with views of the coast, sometimes more evident than at other times. How many times have we driven Road 4 and never noticed the beauty that lies just a few meters to its east!
We passed was a recognition center dedicated to the the KKL-JFN from friends and supporters from Israel and around the world.
We found a frozen slush vending machine (!) -a first!
Nahal Hamaarot Caves and Ein Hod are all worth another visit.
The last segment, from Ein Hod to Route 721 was absolutely beautiful and moving. It included lots of up and down, walking and climbing on volcanic rock formations.
We felt the fire which raged through the Carmel on Dec. 2-5, 2010. While the life force was bursting through and there was a lot of vegetation, the carcass' of the burned trees were evident in every direction, some still erect and some felled by the fires devastating force.
Some olive trees that were burnt to the core had beautiful new shoots growing out around their circumference. Despair and hope combined, we stopped for two minutes of silence to contemplate the magnitude of what we were witnessing.
This was the hike where you could really see that 'Spring had sprung', and even more so...it exploded! Lots of beautiful flowers in bloom, cyclamens, poppies, the remains of the Gilboa Iris', and lots of other beautiful wild flowers. It was a very special segment of Shvil Yisrael.
We hugged Route 4 the whole way north with views of the coast, sometimes more evident than at other times. How many times have we driven Road 4 and never noticed the beauty that lies just a few meters to its east!
We passed was a recognition center dedicated to the the KKL-JFN from friends and supporters from Israel and around the world.
We found a frozen slush vending machine (!) -a first!
Nahal Hamaarot Caves and Ein Hod are all worth another visit.
The last segment, from Ein Hod to Route 721 was absolutely beautiful and moving. It included lots of up and down, walking and climbing on volcanic rock formations.
We felt the fire which raged through the Carmel on Dec. 2-5, 2010. While the life force was bursting through and there was a lot of vegetation, the carcass' of the burned trees were evident in every direction, some still erect and some felled by the fires devastating force.
Some olive trees that were burnt to the core had beautiful new shoots growing out around their circumference. Despair and hope combined, we stopped for two minutes of silence to contemplate the magnitude of what we were witnessing.
This was the hike where you could really see that 'Spring had sprung', and even more so...it exploded! Lots of beautiful flowers in bloom, cyclamens, poppies, the remains of the Gilboa Iris', and lots of other beautiful wild flowers. It was a very special segment of Shvil Yisrael.
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