Tompson without an 'H', as in Tintin Traditional Geocache
Tompson without an 'H', as in Tintin
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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Welcome to Tompson Street Reservation, 305 acres of wooded hilly trails, vernal pools, an old cemetery, glacial erratics, and a Red Maple Swamp in West Gloucester. Two ways to approach this geocache are both from Bray Street, either from the gate or the new Gateway Parcel (more detail below).
NOTE ABOUT THE WAYPOINTS: the ECGA is rethinking the access points to some of their properties, Tompson Street Reservation is one of them.
PARKING AREAS: accommodate 2-6 cars, Official Signage at all of them.
TRAILHEADS: accommodate 2-3 cars, but please defer from parking.
Because a lot of bike riders come here, we're being inclusive with the trailhead waypoints, but will defer to the ECGA when they redo their maps. The trails here can be confusing, and it's possible to blunder onto Private Property, so please link to the Related Web Page above for the most current downloadable map.
This geocache is a tribute to "The Adventures of Tintin," a series of comics created by Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi (1907–1983), who wrote under the pen name of Hergé. The series is one of the most popular European comics of the 20th century. By the time of the centenary of Hergé's birth in 2007, Tintin had been published in more than 70 languages with sales of more than 200 million copies. The computer-animated film in 2011 was directed by Steven Spielberg and produced by Peter Jackson. Worldwide the film grossed over $373 million and as of 2012, it is the highest grossing film of Nickelodeon Movies.
The cache theme art focuses on the two detectives in the Tintin series. The detectives were in part based on Hergé's father and uncle, identical twins who wore matching bowler hats while carrying matching walking sticks. The one with the flared, pointy moustache is Thomson, who often describes himself as "Thomson, without a 'P', as in Venezuela." The detective with the flat, droopy moustache has described himself as "Thompson, with a 'P', as in psychology" or "Philadelphia", using words with either a silent "P" or in which the "P" is combined with another letter, losing the "P" sound. For more about these characters: (visit link)
The ECGA seems similarly inconsistent with their spelling of Tompson. The best we can figure is that the Reservation alone is spelled without an "H," all other Thompson Street references are with an "H."
Tompson Mountain features Eagle Rock at its summit. Along the way from the Bray Street gate we've added a reference point for Cross Point, site of the 1716 Second Parish Church. Establishment of this church meant that West Gloucester residents did not have to make the several hour journey through the woods and across the bay to the First Parish Church in downtown Gloucester. Look for the stone circle and metal cross that mark the site on Old Thompson Street.
If you come in from Bray Street, know that from the gate it may look closer, but there are more elevation changes. From the new Gateway Parcel parking, the hike is more level, but overgrown in spots. From either direction, be prepared for mud and bugs. Once you reach Eagle Rock, the easiest access is from the south. From the north, consider it a "significant climb." Once at the top, you will enjoy panoramic views and a sea-breeze for your efforts (and hopefully a respite from the bugs)!
The cache container is a 5”x5”x2” Lock ‘n’ Lock. Another cache worth checking out that is near (to the north) but not contiguous with this Reservation is the Old Thompson Street Cache GCV239, accessible from Concord Street.
Although we may be known as coin collectors, we have also dabbled in stamp collecting (hence the background art). The First-To-Find prize is a coin rarer than our usual leave, a cute little Belgian 25 centime coin from 1969 in a viewing box. It is about the size of a dime, and from the homeland of the Tintin author. FTF congrats to Team TTT, with 'T's as in Thenceforth -- well done, their first FTF!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
"Gb or cerpvfr..." ybbx va gur fyvg orgjrra gjb ebpxf, bayl n 10-15' ohfujunpx.