Recently, my wife and I traveled up to the Haifa area to Kibbutz Yagur for what we thought would be a moderately difficult hike up the lower Yagur Stream. It turned out to be the most difficult, the most challenging, and the most "extreme" hike we had ever done - ever. Don’t get me wrong, it goes down on my list as one of the best hikes of my life and one of life’s greatest challenges conquered! Did I mention that it was also one of the prettiest hikes we had ever done? But BEWARE! It is a long hike. 8 kilometers. The first 2 kilometers on a well-marked “red” trail are moderate. The next 1 ½ (still on the red trail) are ONLY for FIT OR EXPERIENCED HIKERS! Coming out of the gorge and the cliffs at 3 ½ kilometers and turning left onto a single-path “green” trail to begin the 4 ½ kilometer descent down the mountain was cause for celebration, which we did with tea and cookies. The descent was EASY following the crest of one of the ribs of the Carmel Mountain. Along the way we passed some of the prettiest and most awesome views that we had ever seen in Israel – phenomenal views of the Carmel ridge and cliffs, the Mediterranean Sea, the Galilee mountains, the Jezreel Valley. This hike is a MUST for fit or experienced hikers!