We've been doing Friday tiyulim - mostly hikes - for a few weeks now. This means I frantically cook and bake on Thursdays, but then we get to go somewhere as a family for a short tiyul on Friday! So much fun.
Until a couple of weeks ago.
We planned to do a Friday tiyul really nearby, and we had done a little bit of research, and found a short (1/2 hr to 1 hr) hike to do. We drove to the park where the hike was, and there were a few people hanging around. One recommeded we detour off our path and check out the natural springs, and they were so pretty! We walked a little in the forested area, but eventually we decided that if we were going to do our "planned hike", we had to get started. So.we.did.
At some point it turned into too much walking for my girls. It had already been an hour, and I didn't feel like we had begun to loop back yet. My husband and I discussed it a bit, and we decided that the girls and I would wait in the shade, not far from the road leading out of the park, and he and the boys would continue the hike and when they got back to the car, they'd come pick us up.
Sounds good.
But it wasn't. The trail signs had apparently been redone since the website we used had been updated. The red and white signs we had been following turned into more of a 3-4 hour hike, and ended right near Yokneam. No.Where.Near.The.Car.
It was getting later on Friday afternoon. Our Shabbat guest texted me that she was waiting outside my house. The girls and I were ok, we were in the shade, and I had been stretching our water. Michael and the boys, however, were dehydrated and exhausted. They had run out of water. We decided they needed to either get a ride back to the car, or get a cab.
We tried to call a few people in the area, to see if anyone had 20 min to help Michael and the boys get back to the car, but we were out of luck.
Eventually, Michael flagged down a taxi, and 50 shekels and 30 min later (they had to stop for a bicycle race on the road), they got back to the car.
And picked us up. And we got home 55 min before sunset.
And. well. sigh.
It was a day I won't forget. At least all the cooking was done in advance!!
