Changes to Tennessee Delorme Map

Recent trip to the REI store in Brentwood, I picked up a new copy of the Tennessee Delorme Map. I retired my old map prior to deployment since it was over 10 years old and marked up. I immediately noticed many significant changes that could affect the Tennessee Delorme Challenge Cache.

First of all, the old map showed grids 13 to 71. The new map has 6 through 79.

Where the old map has half or partial grids from Stewart County all the wall across the state, the new map are all full grids. This could make the completing the cache easier. There are three partial grids located. One located southeast of Elizabethton, TN, where I-40 enters Tennessee at North Carolina and the eastern part of Polk County.

Currently, I have doubts that I will continue working on the Delorme Challenge due to the changes and that 39% of all my finds are now archived.

Completion of the WRC

Last weekend, I joined a small elite group of cachers who have completed the 81 terrain/difficulty grid towards the Well Rounded Cacher. I begun my quest by targeting Stop at the Ball Park on September 26, 2008. At the time I had over 20 grids to accomplish. Over 2 and 1/2 years later, it was completed with West Fork Waterfalls on April 23, 2011. I joined the company of two West Tennesseans, bitbrain and Tiger130, who finished the the quest years prior.

Accomplishing this goal take more effort and energy than another other challenge. Racing to the 1K and completing the West Tennessee Mega Multi were a walk in the park. I used my year long deployment to spend time on the site targeting the caches I needed and doing the research. Special equipment is needed, such as a kayak to get to the 5-star terrain caches. Cachers who are concerned about numbers, may need not to be concerned with the grid. After a day on a kayak getting a few caches, one is too tired to go after the park and grabs on the way home. Some of the grids I completed alone, some I have the luxury and benefit to cache with others. Yes, sometimes one has to play well with others.

The most memorable part of completing the WLC will be the next to last find for the grid, that being Peace and Tranquility I. My log will speak for itself.