This cache is placed in Pace Bend Park, a Travis County Park located approximately 30 miles west of Austin on Lake Travis. The park is open 7 days a week from sunrise to 9pm for day-use visitors with overnight camping available. There is a fee to enter the park. Please be respectful of the posted signs and the other people using the park. This cache is placed in accordance with the guidelines for geocaches by the Travis County Park system.
The heroes in the story of the Lord of the Rings are so numerous but there are only nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring. They are central to our story. Peregrin Took has many roles in our story as the companion of the ring bearer and Steward of Gondor. He represents the Hobbits of Middle Earth in the parley with the Mouth of Sauron. He is one of the keys to finding the One Ring.
Background
Pippin was the only hobbit who had not yet reached his 'coming of age' when the Fellowship set out (being eight years younger than Merry, while Frodo himself was 50 years of age) and was therefore still in his 'tweens'. He was a worthy accomplice to Merry's plans, but showed his age as well; he was still a cheerful, if occasionally thoughtless Hobbit, and was first to miss the comforts of Hobbit life. At Rivendell, Pippin was nearly denied the chance to accompany Frodo by Elrond, who seriously considered using the youngest Hobbit as a messenger to the Shire. Gandalf, however, supported his and Merry's claims of friendship and loyalty, and they were chosen as the last members of the Fellowship.
Remaining with the Fellowship until its breaking at Amon Hen, Pippin was captured along with Merry by an Orc-band, which included some of Saruman's evil Uruk-hai. While held captive by the Orcs, he purposefully dropped his elven brooch (a gift from Lórien) as a sign for Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli, who were in pursuit. During a skirmish amongst his captors, Pippin managed to cut his bonds using a sword held fast by a dead Uruk. In the land of Rohan, Pippin and Merry managed to escape when the Orcs were attacked by a company of Rohirrim, the local people. Upon their escape, he and Merry befriended Treebeard, leader of the Ents. They roused the other Ents to fight against Saruman and they attacked his stronghold of Isengard, partially crippling his power. Due to a special "Ent-draught" that Treebeard made him and Merry drink, Pippin and his cousin became the tallest Hobbits ever in history at four and a half feet, surpassing Pippin's ancestor, Bullroarer Took, who was four feet and five inches tall.
It was Pippin who picked up the palantír of Orthanc after Gríma Wormtongue foolishly threw it as a missile; later, in an almost equally foolish act, Pippin actually stole it out of Gandalf's hands while the wizard slept, putting a rock in its place. Looking into the stone, he had a terrifying encounter with Sauron himself. Because of this, Gandalf separated him from his friends and brought him to the city of Minas Tirith. Meeting Denethor, Steward of Gondor, he volunteered for service to repay him for the death of Denethor's son Boromir, who had died trying to defend Merry and Pippin from the orcs. This amused Denethor, who accepted the Hobbit's offer and made him one of the elite Guards of the Citadel. Later, it was Pippin who rushes to fetch Gandalf when Denethor, driven to despair by seeing in the palantír of Minas Anor, the Tower of the Setting Sun, which was then named Minas Tirith, the Tower of the Guards, a great force seemingly bringing the doom of Gondor, set out to burn his son Faramir and himself alive.
Pippin was part of the Army of the West led by Aragorn, the descendent of the kings of Gondor that assaulted the Black Gate in a desperate gambit. During the final parley with the Mouth of Sauron, Gandalf instructed that members of each race that opposed Sauron be present at the parley, including Gimli son of Gloin for Dwarves, Legolas prince of Mirkwood, Elladan and Elrohir (Elrond's twin sons) for Elves, and Pippin for Hobbits. During the last battle before the Morannon, Pippin managed to slay a troll before being knocked unconscious when the dying troll fell on him. Gimli later recognised his Hobbit feet under the troll and dragged him out of the battle, saving his life. After the restoration of the monarchy he was knighted by King Elessar, who then granted him indefinite leave to return home. Later he and Merry were instrumental in overthrowing Saruman's forces during the Scouring of the Shire.
In F.A. 6 Pippin married Diamond of Long Cleeve, when she was 32 and he was 37. They had one son, Faramir. Faramir Took later married Samwise Gamgee's daughter Goldilocks.
In the F.A. 13 Pippin inherited his father's title and became 32nd Thain of the Shire, a position he held for 50 years before retiring in F.A. 63 and revisiting Rohan and Gondor with Merry. He remained in Gondor for the rest of his life.
Pippin died in the year F.A. 70 and his body was set with Merry's in Rath Dínen.