Sidewallk puzzle

Puzzle instructions

SPOILER ALERT:   THIS POST BELOW GIVES THE ANSWER TO THIS PUZZLE.

IF YOU WANT TO SOLVE THIS ON YOUR OWN, DO NOT READ FURTHER.

THIS PUZZLE IS ORIGINALLY REFERENCED, AND A HINT IS GIVEN TO SOLVING IT,

IN MY FEBRUARY 19th POST.

As I hinted in my February 19 post, it’s much easier to solve this by working backwards from the zero, as opposed to working forward from the six.  The only way to get to the zero is from the 1 immediately to the bottom left of it.  The only way to get to that one is from the 3 going diagonally to the upper right from the 1.  And so on….

Now there is more than one solution, but I’m pretty sure the shortest one is twelve steps.  In the answer given below, I use the notation that up is north, right is east, etc.

Starting from the SIX:

Go north 6 to the 2

go 2 east to the 5

go 5 southwest to the 4

go 4 northeast to the 3

go 3 south to the 4

go 4 west to the 6

go 6 east to the 2

go 2 southwest to the 1

go 1 right to the 5

go 5 north to the 3

go 3 southwest to the 1

go 1 northeast to the ZERO

I think this is a cute and nicely designed puzzle.