The Delorme Challenge

We are in the process of completing the Kansas Delorme Challenge. I've written about this challenge before...Delorme has created a map book (see the picture above) for each state. The Kansas map on the back of the book is broken down into 65 grids, and each page of the book is one of these grids. In order to complete the Delorme Challenge, goecoachers must find or hide a geocache in each grid. This isn't an easy challenge...Kansas is a large state...it is about 400 miles long and 210 miles wide, covering 82,282 square miles, making it the 15th largest of the 50 states. (http://www.netstate.com/states/geography/ks_geography.htm) The eastern 2/3's of the state are pretty populated and there are lots of geocaches to be found. However, the challenge becomes more difficult in the western part of the state...some of the grids only have 1 or 2 caches!

At the same time, we're working on the Kansas County Challenge. This challenge is similar...you need to find a cache in all 105 counties! Again, this can be difficult since some counties only have 1 or 2 caches in them!
We have gone on 2 geocaching treks lately...the first was on 12/13 July and the second on 7/8 August. The first trek was 2 days, 878 miles across 2 states. We found 59 geocaches and completed 15 grids on the Delorme Challenge. The second trek found us driving 837 miles across 2 states. We found 62 geocaches, set 3 of them ourselves and completed 14 grids (all with temps above 100!)
We are sooo close to being able to join the Delorme Challenge Club! But, we are still so far away...14 more grids are left for us to do! All in southwestern Kansas...and another 800+ mile trip!

Geocaching has now become an obsession for us! :)