9: Damon Junction Loop

Hike 9: Down Nachal Kelach to the Little Switzerland area, up to Bet Oren, to Ein Alon and up through the Alon valley.

Hiking Time	4.5 hours
Blaze	Blue, Red, Black, Green, Blue
Trail #	4166, 4171, 4179, 4151, 4178
Difficulty	Medium, some scrambling on rocks on Blue 4166 and green 4155.
Type of trail	Blue is a very narrow single file path, the red is broader, parts of the green and blue trails are dirt roads.
Highlights	Areas where it feels you have left civilization behind. Hidden valleys. Amazing views on the red trail. Picnic areas. Year round spring. This hike is diverse with lots of different types of trails and terrain.
Problems	The black trail which connects the red trail with the green trail after crossing route 72 at Bet Oren is not officially open after the fire, so it is not well marked. However, there are no other problems with it and it is much safer to walk there then on route 72 which has no shoulders and is a narrow and dangerous road.
Cleaniness	Mostly very clean, but one area near the start of the first blue trail and the area where blue trail meets red trail are trashy.
4/12/2010 Carmel Fire	The upper red trail, the black trail and bits of the green trail are in areas burned by the fire. The black trail goes by the memorial to those killed in the fire.

Remember to take out MORE than you bring in.

Trail Narrative
     The blue trail starts on the south (the right if you are coming from the University) side of Route 672 along side the road going down to Bet Oren. Follow the blue blazes to the west across Route 72. For a few minutes the path is in a broad valley and follows the road, but then it goes into a very narrow gorge with dense native woods of Kermes Oak trees(Quercus calliprinos) and Pistachio trees (Pistacia palaestina). After about an hour of scrambling down this path you will reach a wall. Follow the blue blazes up and around the wall and you are in the heart of Little Switzerland, and the junction with the red trail.
     Follow the red trail up to your left (south west). There are amazing views. In a little less than an hour you will reach the Bet Oren Horseback riding stables. Cross Route 72 and follow the black trail back down the other side of the mountain. Here is the heart of where the forest fire burned and when I last hiked on 17Feb2011 there was still a sign saying that the trial was not safe, however, the trail is actually ok though it was not well marked, and it is much safer than trying to walk on the road with no shoulder. You are heading down the hill to the hairpin turn in Route 72 so it is not hard to find your way. Your will pass close to the memorial for those killed in the Carmel Fire and then further down when you reach Route 72 again you will pass an ancient Roman rock quarry. Cross route 72 to the look out point and there opposite the parking area between the fence and the field school is the beginning of the green trail going west, down hill into the Carmel Pools preserve.
     The green trail meanders up through this wide valley with its year round stream, it passes the Alon year round spring and goes up wadi Oren on smooth water eroded rocks. In the winter there are numerous pools that have larvae (a lot like tad poles) of the native Israeli fire salamander (Salamandra infraimmaculata) in them. These are, of course, a protected species and should not be collected or disturbed. The green trail then climbs out of the wadi and enters a wide valley (Alon Valley). Here the path widens into a dirt road. A few minutes on the dirt road will bring you to the junction with the blue trail.
     Follow the blue trail to the left (northwest). It soon starts to climb out of the valley and climbs Nachal Alon back up to the Damon Junction.

Getting to the trail and back:

By Bus:
Take Bus 37 aleph to the Damon junction, this is the second stop after the University. The 37 bus starts down in Bat Galim, goes through Hadar, Central Carmel, Ahuza and ends either at the University or if it is a 37 Aleph goes all the way to the Druze villages.

By Car:
Damon Junction is about 2 kilometers past the University. Turn right towards Bet Oren and then immediately left into a parking area.

Pictures from the hike.