Systems and methods are provided that may be implemented to create a wireless communication path by opening relatively low power wireless non-broadcast node-to-node connections between network nodes between selected wireless nodes of a mesh network, or by implementing inter-node broadcast routing paths within such a network by selectively broadcasting from selected network nodes, based on one or more inter-node signal transmission characteristics measured between different pairs of nodes of the mesh network. When used, the opened connections may employ non-continuous connection listening intervals that are shorter than observer listening times to communicate over designated data channels in a targeted manner between selected routing nodes in a mesh network.