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 9
Michelle's Empty Nest
Jackie
Raquel
Caipi

* 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.

Hey, team! Checking in.

Hi everyone!

Hi team, I'm Caipi from Germany and I'm looking forward to playing this challenge with you. Hopefully it will be as nice and easy as it sounds. 🤞🏻😅
So, anyone of you creative with finding us a name? Unfortunately, I'm really terrible at it. 🙈

Here are some suggestions using AI:


The Prairie Pioneers
Westward Bound
Wagon Wheel Warriors
Columbia River Crew
The Trailblazers
Dust Bowl Drifters
The Oregon Dreamers
The Overland Adventurers
The Pioneer Party
The Willamette Valley Wanderers
Blue Mountain Bandits
Snake River Squad
Platte River Pioneers
Covered Wagon Crew ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
Homestead Heroes
Trail Dust Travelers


I think I like Covered Wagon Crew best, but there are lots of good ones there.

What if we go in alphabetical order for who picks first, second, etc. for Supply Cards?


Caipi
Jackie
Michelle's Empty Nest
Raquel


Also, I don't mind making the completion posts, unless someone else is just itching to do it.

Michelle's Empty Nest wrote: "What if we go in alphabetical order for who picks first, second, etc. for Supply Cards?


Caipi
Jackie
Michelle's Empty Nest
Raquel


Also, I don't mind making the completion posts, unless someone..."

Works for me.

Hi team! Checking in!

Michelle, all that works for me!

Michelle's Empty Nest wrote: "Here are some suggestions using AI:


The Prairie Pioneers
Westward Bound
Wagon Wheel Warriors
Columbia River Crew
The Trailblazers
Dust Bowl Drifters
The Oregon Dreamers
The Overland Adventurers
T..."

Woah, thanks for all the great suggestions! I like Covered Wagon Crew, too. :)

Michelle's Empty Nest wrote: "What if we go in alphabetical order for who picks first, second, etc. for Supply Cards?


Caipi
Jackie
Michelle's Empty Nest
Raquel


Also, I don't mind making the completion posts, unless someone..."

Works for me.

So for next week I have SOS Hotel: Sleep With Us planned. It would work for
- Spare Parts - read a book that is in a series, but is NOT the first
or
- Food - read a book with double letters in a word in the title.

Week 1 Supply Cards


Caipi: Spare Parts - read a book that is in a series, but is NOT the first
OR
- Food - read a book with double letters in a word in the title.

Jackie: Medicine - read a book with "doctor" found in the text

Michelle's Empty Nest: Clothes - read a book with one fully clothed person on the cover

Raquel: Clean Water - read a book that is set along a lake, sea, or ocean (50% of the time)

Okay, I can take
Medicine - read a book with "doctor" found in the text

I'll take: Clothes - read a book with one fully clothed person on the cover

I’ll take clean water.

Jackie and Raquel, what's your vote on our team name?

I'm fine with Covered Wagon Crew.

Same. Covered wagon crew

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.

Just saw this.


Q: Hi Lanelle! Our team noticed that there’s two Calamities that require Medicine Supply Cards. Does this mean that we have to read two different Medicine books or can we just read one Medicine book?


A: (from Lanelle) Two people would need to read Medicine tasks if you want two Medicine Supply cards.


Based on this, do we want to make any adjustments? I didn't realize we could read for the same card. Or, just stick with what we've got?

Can I read two books or do we need to switch one for medicine?

Lanelle confirmed in another post that we can only read for one book each. Maybe we're OK like we have it?

Looks good like we have it.

Posting to help me remember what's what...can we say too many challenges in the works?? 😅


I'll start today for fully clothed person on the cover.

Completion Post

Task: Medicine - read a book with "doctor" found in the text
Book: The Last Party
Author: Clare Mackintosh
Pages: 432
Date: 1/14
How it fits: Page 419 - ...and his refusal to see a doctor about it...

Covered Wagon Crew (9) ~ Week 1 Supply Cards: Completed


Caipi: Food - read a book with double letters in a word in the title.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Jackie: Medicine - read a book with "doctor" found in the text
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Michelle's Empty Nest: Clothes - read a book with one fully clothed person on the cover
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Raquel: Clean Water - read a book that is set along a lake, sea, or ocean (50% of the time)
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Completion Post

Task: Clean Water - read a book that is set along a lake, sea, or ocean (50% of the time)
Book: Bad Tourists
Author: Caro Carver
Pages: 336
Date: 01/15/2025
How it fits: set in Maldives more than 50% of book. Set along Indian Ocean.

Week 1 Supply Card Completion Post


Task: Clothes - read a book with one fully clothed person on the cover
Book: The Huntress
Author: CKate Quinn
Pages: 560
Date: 1-16-2025
How it Fits: one fully clothed person on the cover

Completion Post

Task: Food - read a book with double letters in a word in the title.
Book: SOS Hotel: Sleep With Us
Author: Adam Vex
Pages: 174
Date: January 16
How it fits: SOS Hotel: Sleep With Us double E in title

Hey team, I have finished reading my book. What do you all think, should I use it for the spare parts or food task? I'm leaning towards food, but I don't know the original game, so maybe my guess is totally wrong.
Your opinion?

I would vote food as well.

I vote food.

Jackie wrote: "I vote food."

Michelle's Empty Nest wrote: "I would vote food as well."

Thanks for your opinion, I have updated my post with the food task. 👍🏻

I went ahead and checked us in. Great job, everyone!

Michelle's Empty Nest wrote: "I went ahead and checked us in. Great job, everyone!"

Thanks, Michelle! :)

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 Broken Wheel 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.

Hmm, looks like we've gotten exactly the one calamity that we don't have a supply card for.... :(
I can read two 70 miles books this week, or one for the spare parts supply card. I'll just have to pass on the buddy read option, as I think I'm the only one on the team who mainly reads mm romance.

Week 2 Plan


How does this look? I can switch if I need to...


Caipi: two 70-mile books

Jackie: 70-mile book

Michelle's Empty Nest: Spare Parts Supply Card - read a book that is in a series, but is NOT the first

Raquel: 70-mile book

Looks fine to me, but I could read two 70-mile books if you want to switch, Caipi.

Jackie wrote: "Looks fine to me, but I could read two 70-mile books if you want to switch, Caipi."

Thanks Jackie, but let me read the extra book this week as I have no idea if I'll be able to read additional books later on in the challenge. 👍🏻

Completion Post

Task: 70-Mile - Written by an author whose first, middle, or last initial can be found in MILES
Book: Island of Silence
Author: Lisa McMann
Pages: 416
Date: 1/21
How it fits: Author initials LM

Week 2 Completion Post
Covered Wagon Crew (9)


Supply Card Needed/Used: Spare Parts Card


Caipi: two 70-mile books https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Jackie: 70-mile book https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Michelle's Empty Nest: Spare Parts Supply Card - read a book that is in a series, but is NOT the first https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Raquel: 70-mile book https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Completion Post

Task: 70-Mile - with a title that begins with a letter found in THE OREGON TRAIL (you can use or ignore 'A', 'An', 'The')
Book: Onyx Storm
Author: Rebecca Yarros
Pages: 529
Date: 1/23
How it fits: Title begins with "O"

Week 2 Supply Card Completion Post


Task: Spare Parts Supply Card - read a book that is in a series, but is NOT the first
Book: The Lost Island
Author: Douglas Preston
Pages: 355
Date: 1-24-2025
How it Fits: Book #3 in the Gideon Crew series.

Completion Post Week #2 - 70 miles

Book 1
Task: written by an author whose first, middle, or last initial can be found in MILES
Book: Fluke and the Faultline Fiasco by Sam Burns
Pages: 254
Read: January 24th
How it qualifies: Sam Burns first, middle, or last initial can be found in MILES

Book 2
Task: written by an author whose first, middle, or last initial can be found in MILES
Book: One Bite With a Vampire by Louisa Masters
Pages: 292
Read: January 25th
How it qualifies: Louisa Masters first, middle, or last initial can be found in MILES

Got us checked in for Week 2!

Thanks, Michelle!

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 Starvation 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.

Yay! We can all just read for a 70-mile book this week!