Wildpark Höfli

I don't generally go very far in the mornings: I get nervous about getting lost and not being able to be home in time to meet the kids for lunch.  But being outside the city yesterday was so soul-satisfying, and the weather was so inviting this morning, that I couldn't resist taking Joey out for a walk in the woods.  I mentioned the Sihlwald animal park yesterday: I thought it might be nice to take my steadfast animal-lover out there to see what we could see there.

We took the outer-loop pink trail, starting our trip north from Station Wildpark-Höfli. The trailhead signs promised our trip would take about an hour.

But they kept mum about the stairs.


About a quarter-mile into our trip, we came to our first set of steps.  Because we were under time constraints, I'd packed Joey into our stroller and we'd merrily bumped along travel trail until this point.  Joey gamely tried to climb the first couple of stairs, but he decided it was simpler to call "Maaaaaaa-ma" after the first five steps.  So I took the stairs twice, once with the stroller, and once with Joey.

And we so we stubbornly continued for three-quarters of the loop trail. The further I went, the less willing I was to turn around, certain that, soon, the climbing would stop.  I mentally renamed the woods Wildpark Escher, wondering how it could be possible that the entire trail consisted of going up stairs.

Well, of course it didn't.  The loop ended with a steep descent of yet another flight of stairs. Which, of course, I had to do twice.

But I could see through the sweat of my brow that the park was beautiful.  A little brook ran along the first bit of the trail, and I know Ella and Alex would have a wonderful time playing in it. And, although our chosen trail didn't take us by any of the really exciting animals like the wolves or the bears or the wild pigs (all of which were housed on the tiered interior of the loop: more stairs!), we got to see many of the deer and other hoofed animals that grazed along the outside of the woods.  Joey greeted them all enthusiastically: "Look! A-mals! Look!"

At the back of the trail we found a cafeteria and this playground: I showed the big kids this picture, and they have their eye on the teeter-totter in the back. I think we may return here for a hike and lunch this weekend, but without a stroller and with strong-armed daddy.

Not so interesting, you say? Nay, I say.  There's nothing
more lovely than a wide, flat, gravel trail.

This sign, which I saw at the end of the trail, almost
made me weep.

Joey, settling in to watch the froggies.

I'd pushed the pace, nervous about the kids and uncertain about the length of the trail, so we had quite a bit of time before we had to get home.  And that was lucky, because, at the entrance to the trail was a little frog pond that was, well, hopping.  Joey was surprisingly good at spotting the frogs, and he quickly learned to tiptoe up to the bank, giggling quietly to himself in anticipation.

Love is in the air

Almost ready to hatch.

And I settled back with my well-earned flask of coffee and watched my young naturalist explore at a better pace.