Return to Tradition #16: Tophet Chasm Traditional Cache
Return to Tradition #16: Tophet Chasm
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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This is cache #16 in the Return to
Tradition Series started back on 2/3/2006 by Bubba and Johnathan
with
Return To Tradition #1: Burnt Out (GCT9RK) .
Tophet Chasm
A temporary outlet carved out of rock for an extensive glacial lake
about 15,000 years ago. Oak Hill is the northern tip of a long
ridge of hills called Shrewsbury Ridge by geologists. In glacial
times, the ridge acted as the eastern shore of a vast glacial lake,
Lake Nashua. Its northern shore was the face of the melting
glacier. At one stage late in the history of the lake, the water
found an eastern outlet through a low weak fault area on Oak Hill.
Here the rushing stream fell to carve a deep chasm. The head of the
chasm was an ancient waterfall 120 feet high, only 38 feet less
than the mighty Niagara's 158 foot drop. Today the falls are silent
and the debris of the ages has filled part of the chasm floor so
that the walls rise a somewhat lesser 80 feet - still enough to be
impressive. The floor of the chasm contains a swampy area, known as
Tophet Swamp. This quiet swamp, surrounded by steep bedrock cliffs,
abounds in wildlife and vegetation. Dominant species include red
maple, high-bush blueberry, hemlocks, black birch, ferns, and a
sphagnum moss mat. (Tophet is an old term for "hell"or"place of
fire.")
You should stay on Yellow Marked Trail until you are
familiar with the hill and chasm. This property is encircled by
roads and houses, so if you do get lost it will only be
temporary.
Please be careful with your footing. Along the ridge the trail is
narrow in places and in others the moss covered rocks may be
slippery, especially when wet. A sturdy hiking shoe or boot is
suggested.
The cache is a small ammo can which contains a logbook and other
size-appropriate items.
Good Luck!
Congratulations to Hoover and Cashlet
"M" and g-o-cashers for FTF.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Onfr bs znexrq gerr [UPS] haqre cvyr bs fgvpxf