The Challenge Factory discussion

You and three friends are about to embark on a perilous journey. You will be traveling by wagon from Independence, Missouri, to the Willamette Valley, Oregon. It is going to be a long, long 1,960-mile walk.

You will face wildlife, starvation, disease, thieves, severe weather, accidents, and worst of all, no libraries :)

But you can do it together with your companions. (I promise you will not die of dysentery.)

Team 7
RachelG
Catsalive
Megan
Geri

* miles traveled - 1,680

*Supply Cards available*


*Supply Cards used*

For Week 1 each team member will read for one (1) Supply Card.

Supply Cards
Medicine - read a book with "doctor" found in the text
Spare Parts - read a book that is in a series, but is NOT the first
Clothes - read a book with one fully clothed person on the cover
Clean Water - read a book that is set along a lake, sea, or ocean (50% of the time)
Food - read a book with double letters in a word in the title.

For Weeks 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10, you will be traveling. Each team member will read a book that will get you 70 miles along the trail.

To go 70 miles, read a book:
with the numbers 7 and 0 in the publication date - OR -
written by an author whose first, middle, or last initial can be found in MILES - OR -
with a title that begins with a letter found in THE OREGON TRAIL (you can use or ignore 'A', 'An', 'The')

For Weeks 4 and 7, you can read any 140+ page book you'd like.

First of all, pick a name for your family, group, or company.

Second, decide who will read for which Supply Card.

Third, decide who will make the team's Completion Posts. (It can be one person, or you can take turns. The team's Completion Post can be posted as soon as everyone has reported. The latest the team Completion Post can be posted is early Monday morning.)

Fourth, sit back and wait for Day One of the most incredible journey.

Hi team!

1. I have been trying to come up with a good name and would love some ideas. I loved this game when I was young!

2. I can read for any supply card. Which supply do we want to not take with us?

3. I would be happy to make the team's posts or whoever is the last to finish can do so. Just let me know.

Hi Team.

I'd say clothes are probably the least necessary, unless it's winter, I suppose, but it's one of the easiest tasks.

I'd like to take spare parts, for preference, or food.

Rambling Readers?
I may be some time?
Peripatetic Parchment Perusers?

Chimney Rock Cartographers?
Raging River Forders?

RachelG. wrote: "Chimney Rock Cartographers?
Raging River Forders?"

Ooo. Nice! I know who to go to when I need a name for a team or challenge!

Hi Team! Checking in. I can do the clean water task if no one else wants it. I do think clean water will be important.

Rachel, I’m fine with you posting our completions. I appreciate it! 🙂

Oh boy, coming up with names isn’t a strength of mine. I do like the names posted. Rambling Readers and Raging River Forders are good.

Hi team! I always loved playing this game and am excited to participate in this challenge!

I can do Medicine or Spare Parts the easiest, but could probably read for any of them.

I'm also fine with you posting our completion posts, Rachel - thanks for volunteering!

I like all the name ideas. I had Wagon Wheel Warriors as an idea too.

I like Wagon Wheel Warriors.

How about for the supply cards we have:
Catsalive - Spare parts
Geri - Clean water
Megan - Medicine
Rachel - Food

Does that work?

Works for me :)

I’m fine with the tasks!

And I do like Wagon Wheel Warriors too. I’m fine with any of the names! 🙂

Wagon Wheel Warriors sounds good.

OK. I’ll tell Lanelle what our team name will be. 🙂

This is Week 1 of your journey West to Oregon. Each team member will read for a Supply Card. You need to decide which Supply Cards you want to begin your journey with, and who will read for which Card.

Supply Cards
Medicine - read a book with "doctor" found in the text
Spare Parts - read a book that is in a series, but is NOT the first
Clothes - read a book with one fully clothed person on the cover
Clean Water - read a book that is set along a lake, sea, or ocean (50% of the time)
Food - read a book with double letters in a word in the title.

Calamities
Broken Arm (needs Medicine card)
Snake Bite (needs Medicine card)
Starvation (needs Food card)
Extreme Cold (needs Clothes card)
Bad Water (needs Clean Water card)
Broken Wheel (needs Spare Parts card)


Rules
You can't begin reading your book until Monday morning, 12:01 a.m. your time.
You must finish and report your book by Sunday night 11:59 p.m. your time.
Books must be 140 pages or more.
Audio books must be at least 3 hours long.
Graphic Novels must be at least 200 pages.

Week 1

Book/Author: Mrs. Jeffries Delivers the Goods by Emily Brightwell
Date: 1/13/25
Pages: 285
Task: Food - read a book with double letters in a word in the title.
How It Fits: jeFFries and gOOds

Completion Post

Week 1

Book & Author: Floreana by Midge Raymond
Pages: 261
Date Read: 1/14/25
Task: Clean Water - read a book that is set along a lake, sea, or ocean (50% of the time)
How it Fits: Book set on an island that is part of the Galápagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

Week 1

Spare Parts - read a book that is in a series, but is NOT the first
Book: Miss Silver Intervenes by Patricia Wentworth
Date: 13/1 4★
Pages: 326
Fit: Miss Silver #6

Week 1

Pies and Prejudice by Ellery Adams
Date: 1/18/25
Pages: 291
Task: Medicine - read a book with "doctor" found in the text
How it fits: "We’re all a bit too country for her tastes, but she and the good doctor talked on the phone all the time." (page 86)

I checked us in.

Thank you!

For Week 2 of your journey West to Oregon, each team member will read a book that will take them 70 miles.

To go 70 miles, read a book:
with the numbers 7 and 0 in the publication date - OR -
written by an author whose first, middle, or last initial can be found in MILES - OR -
with a title that begins with a letter found in THE OREGON TRAIL (you can use or ignore 'A', 'An', 'The')

*******************************************************

You received the Extreme Cold Calamity Card.

Hopefully you will have earned the Supply Card that blocks this Calamity in Week 1.

If you don't have the Supply Card, one team member will need to read the task to counteract the Calamity. You will miss out on the 70 miles that that team member's book would add to the total mileage for that week.

Option 2 - a team member can read two (2) books during the week to make up the 70 miles that the person reading for the Supply Card will not accomplish. The two books must both meet the criteria for traveling the 70 miles.

Option 3 - two or more team members can 'buddy read' a book. The book must meet the criteria for traveling or the Supply Card for the Calamity. The one (1) book will counteract the Calamity and travel the necessary 70 miles.


Rules
You can't begin reading your book until Monday morning, 12:01 a.m. your time.
You must finish and report your book by Sunday night 11:59 p.m. your time.
Books must be 140 pages or more.
Audio books must be at least 3 hours long.
Graphic Novels must be at least 200 pages.

Well, we did not read for clothes. So one of us will have to read 2 books that will allow us to travel 70 miles and one of us will have to read for clothes. Does anyone have a preference for either task?

Geri wrote: "Well, we did not read for clothes. So one of us will have to read 2 books that will allow us to travel 70 miles and one of us will have to read for clothes. Does anyone have a preference for either task?"

Don't forget the buddy read option.

The books I have planned for this week do work for the travel 70 miles tasks. So it won’t be a problem to read 2 books this week. 🙂

Who wants to read for clothes instead of traveling 70 miles?

I can read for clothes if you want to do the 2 books, Geri.

Great! Thanks!

Completion Post

Week 2

Book & Author: Cross My Heart by Megan Collins
Pages: 320
Date Read: 1/22/25
Task: written by an author whose first, middle, or last initial can be found in MILES
How it Fits: Author first initial M.

Week 2

Book/Author: The Second Generation by Margaret Weis
Date: 1/22/25
Pages: 489
Task: Clothes - read a book with one fully clothed person on the cover
How It Fits:

Completion Post

Week 2

Book & Author: The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf
Pages: 316
Date Read: 1/22/25
Task: Title that begins with a letter found in THE OREGON TRAIL (you can use or ignore 'A', 'An', 'The')
How it Fits: Title begins with O.

Week 2

To go 70 miles, read a book with a title that begins with a letter found in THE OREGON TRAIL

Book: Take Two by Danielle Hawkins
Date: 23/1 4★
Pages: 288
Fit: title begins with T

Week 2

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Date: 1/25/25
Pages: 566
Task: written by an author whose first, middle, or last initial can be found in MILES
How it fits: Margaret begins with M

Checked us in for week 2.

Great!

This is Week 3 of your journey West to Oregon. Each team member will read a book that will take them 70 miles.

To go 70 miles, read a book:
with the numbers 7 and 0 in the publication date - OR -
written by an author whose first, middle, or last initial can be found in MILES - OR -
with a title that begins with a letter found in THE OREGON TRAIL (you can use or ignore 'A', 'An', 'The')

*******************************************************

You received the Broken Arm Calamity Card.

Hopefully you will have earned the Supply Card that blocks this Calamity in Week 1.

If you don't have the Supply Card, one team member will need to read the task to counteract the Calamity. You will miss out on the 70 miles that that team member's book would add to the total mileage for that week.

Option 2 - a team member can read two (2) books during the week to make up the 70 miles that the person reading for the Supply Card will not accomplish. The two books must both meet the criteria for traveling the 70 miles.

Option 3 - two or more team members can 'buddy read' a book. The book must meet the criteria for traveling or the Supply Card for the Calamity. The one (1) book will counteract the Calamity and travel the necessary 70 miles.


Rules
You can't begin reading your book until Monday morning, 12:01 a.m. your time.
You must finish and report your book by Sunday night 11:59 p.m. your time.
Books must be 140 pages or more.
Audio books must be at least 3 hours long.
Graphic Novels must be at least 200 pages.

Good! We do have the medicine card. We just need to read 1 book to travel 70 miles. 🙂

Week 3

To go 70 miles, read a book with the numbers 7 and 0 in the publication date

Book: Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree
Date: 27/1 4★
Pages: 336
Fit: pub. November 7, 2023

Completion Post

Week 3

Book & Author: Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti
Pages: 352
Date Read: 1/28/25
Task: Title that begins with a letter found in THE OREGON TRAIL (you can use or ignore 'A', 'An', 'The')
How it Fits: Title begins with E.

Week 3

Book/Author: Aether Ones by Wendi Coffman-Porter
Date: 1/28/25
Pages: 381
Task: Title that begins with a letter found in THE OREGON TRAIL (you can use or ignore 'A', 'An', 'The')
How It Fits: Title starts with A.

Week 3

Romanov by Nadine Brandes
Date: 2/2/25
Pages: 350
Task: Title that begins with a letter found in THE OREGON TRAIL
How It Fits: Title starts with R

Week 3 checked in. Kind of hard to believe it's been 3 weeks already! Also, I read the choose your own adventure type Oregon Trail books by Jesse Wiley this week and they were a lot of fun!

It’s nice we get a little break for week 4 and can read anything we want, over 140 pages.

I didn’t know there was an Oregon Trail series. I will take a look.

This is Week 4 of your journey West to Oregon. You have reached Challengeville. It's time to rest. You can read any book you choose that is at least 140 pages or more.

Your team also needs to decide which Supply Card you will restock. No one needs to read the task for the Card. Just let me know which Card you picked in your Team's Completion Post.


Rules
You can't begin reading your book until Monday morning, 12:01 a.m. your time.
You must finish and report your book by Sunday night 11:59 p.m. your time.
Books must be 140 pages or more.
Audio books must be at least 3 hours long.
Graphic Novels must be at least 200 pages.

Which card should we request to restock? I am thinking medicine.

RachelG. wrote: "Which card should we request to restock? I am thinking medicine."

I agree.

RachelG. wrote: "Which card should we request to restock? I am thinking medicine."

I’m fine with that.

Completion Post

Week 4

Book & Author: Keep Me by Sara Cate
Pages: 336
Date Read: 2/4/25
Task: Read any book over 140 pages.
How it Fits: Book of my choice over 140 pages.

Week 4


Book & Author: No Nest for the Wicket by Donna Andrews
Pages: 338
Date Read: 2/4/25
Task: Read any book over 140 pages.
How it Fits: Book of my choice over 140 pages.

Week 4

Book: When It All Went to Custard by Danielle Hawkins
Date: 5/2 5★
Pages: 400
Task: any book over 140p
Fit: any book