Day 44 & day 45 - Alma bridge to Kfar Giladi / Tel Hai (8th October, 2022) - end of the trail!

 I started the day early (6:15) setting off from the Alma bridge

The path continued following the Dishon river (still dry) for a few kilometers.

After a steep ascent, there was a great view over the Hula valley

After nearly losing my watch (the strap broke and it fell off without me noticing, I went back and found it), I soon reached Keren Naftali, which had a great view over the Hula valley on one side and into Lebanon on the other.

There were huge number of migrating birds flying over Keren Naftali, making beautiful patterns in the air as they flew around

This is the view of Keren Naftali as I continued on the way.

The Agamon Hula (Hula lake), where you can see the migratory birds, could be seen down in the Hula valley

The birds flying around Keren Naftali were visible for a significant distance

The path went past the depopulated village of Al-Nabi Yusha'

At the intersection there was a small foodtruck , a great place for a quick break

I took a look around at the museum at the Yesha fort (about the 3 attempts it took to take the fort, and the 28 people that died). The path continued down into Nahal Kadesh

The descent was steep and involved climbing down rocks

After a steep ascent, the path continued on a dirt track, with views over the Hula valley

Some of the forests had recently been burned

The path went under the Manara cable car (which has been closed for the last 3 years)

The path continued past Kiryat Shmona

After a descent through the forest, the path went past Tel Hai

including the somewhat neglected sculpture park

The path ended at Kfar Giladi. I was expected something more to celebrate reaching the end, but instead there was a sign requesting hikers not to continue on the path for "security reasons"

The moon rising over the Golan

The roaring lion statue at Tel Hai

So 5 years and 8 months after stating in Eilat, I finally made it to the end of the Israel trail!

Part of day 42 / day 43 - Meron to Alma Bridge (7th October 2022)

I arrived the night before at the campground next to Moshav Meron ("hapitul"). The campground is close to the grave of the Rashbi (Shimon Bar Yochai), and I was woken up a few times from the shouting during the night. I set off early towards Har (Mount) Meron.

The day started with a significant climb, I paused to take a photo of the sunrise over nearby Tzfat.

I walked past what is supposed to be the grave of the rabbi Shammai

I took advantage of the relatively cool morning to get most of the uphill hiking done before the heat of the middle of the day

The path passes by Elijah's chair

There was an impressive oak tree in Ein Zeved

The trail went past a memorial to the 44 people who died in the 2010 Carmel forest fires (in Rehovot we have a bridge called the "44 bridge")

The views from (nearly) the top of Har Meron were great and a preview of the rest of the days hiking

I passed another campground where there were some impressive arched roofs (Hirbat Hamama)

The path continued on to Nahal Ziv'on, which was dry but still quite scenic.

I took a break at a spring where Nahal Dishon and Nahal Gush Halav meet (Ein Halav = Halav spring)

The path followed the Dishon river (which was also mostly dry) - there was a small spring (Aravot spring) after crossing under the road (but with the water coming from a pipe!)

Along the way there was an enormous number of ripe blackberries, which I enjoyed eating

The path followed Nahal Dishon for the rest of the day

While there was an enormous quantity of blackberries, there was no water at the Aviv spring (Ein Aviv), I guess someone needs to turn on the water.

I passed this structure on the way, not sure what it is

I stopped for the day at Alma bridge near Dishon, a few other people also camped there (just outside the national park boundary)

We were there just in time to watch the moon rise over the hills