👣 Walking to Mordor 👣

Some of us are planning to join peace2 tracking miles and walking through Middle Earth.

Please join us if you are at all inclined.

Oh! I recently started reading LOTR to stellarwoman aloud. She's never read it. I'd love to participate, but I'm also afraid that the speed of of our walk may leave us behind -- maybe as far back as The Inn of the Prancing Pony!

We can certainly see where the trek takes us!

We're not going to try to stay together since peace2 is already hundreds of miles ahead of us anyway. I'm going to start with my miles from January 1st, 2017. I had talked about doing this last Fall and promptly forgot. :o)

So, how is stellarwoman enjoying LotR so far?

Do we get a ring at the end?

Can I run part of the way? How long is it to Mordor?

I think when we make it to Mordor, we should all get a ring. 😜

>4 suitable1: >5 catzteach: No, no, when you get to Mordor you have to lose one of the rings you already own! :P

>4 suitable1: & >5 catzteach: You can get there in whichever manner you prefer, on your own furry feet or on the backs of ponies or eagles...

>6 sandstone78: Indeed!

Delurking to ask if you are using an app to calculate the distances. This sounds like fun.

I'm currently just using a regular walking app. There is a website with all the info on mileage: https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/walking/

The actual data came from Eowyn's Challenge: http://home.insightbb.com/~eowynchallenge/Walk/walk.html

I've taken the liberty of sharing the info as it is broken down into each leg of the journey here:

From Hobbiton to Rivendell - 458 miles: http://home.insightbb.com/~eowynchallenge/Tools/Bag_end/bag_end.html

From Rivendell, through Moria, to Lothlorien - 462 miles: http://home.insightbb.com/~eowynchallenge/Tools/Rivendell_Lorien/rivendell_lorie...

From Lothlorien, down the Anduin, to Rauros Falls - 389 miles: http://home.insightbb.com/~eowynchallenge/Tools/Lorien_Rauros/lorien_rauros.html

From Rauros to Mt. Doom - 470 miles: http://home.insightbb.com/~eowynchallenge/Tools/Frodo_and_Sam/frodo_and_sam.html

From Minas Tirith to Isengard - 535 miles: http://home.insightbb.com/~eowynchallenge/Tools/Isengard_Return/isengard_return....

From Isengard to Rivendell - 693 miles: http://home.insightbb.com/~eowynchallenge/Tools/Rivendell_Return/rivendell_retur...

From Rivendell to Bag End - 397 miles: http://home.insightbb.com/~eowynchallenge/Tools/Bag_End_Return/bag_end_return.ht...

From Bag End to the Grey Havens - 467 miles: http://home.insightbb.com/~eowynchallenge/Tools/Grey_Havens/grey_havens.html

>6 sandstone78: Does getting engaged count as losing a ring? (Don't congrats yet. Two weeks before I ask yet. :) )

I'm thinking I'll just start with March 1st because I hate the idea of missing the walk through Hobbiton.

>10 gilroy: Sort of! And *hugs* anyway! :o)

>12 clamairy: Whoops. Guess I revealed what my announcement might be, huh? :)

I stayed in Frogmorton last night, trying to get to Brandy Hall before tonight, but I'm thinking I'll be lucky to make it to Whitfurrows. Why can't I remember the name of the farmer with the mushrooms? I'm not sure his place is on my map, but I really wanted to take a shortcut to mushrooms.

By the by, I'm using my edition of The Atlas of Middle-Earth to travel with.

>13 gilroy: I think you may have given that announcement away awhile back, either that or I guess good. A very happy day to you in the future.

>7 clamairy: oh, so I can ride, too. That works for me!

>10 gilroy: exciting!

>14 MrsLee: I'll have to get one of these. The Husband may want to take part in this.

Now I have to figure out if my Apple Watch keeps an accumulative total on mileage walked.

I've got a spreadsheet (Excel) I'd be willing to turn it blank for a new start, if anyone wants me to email a copy to them. I just enter each day's total (based on how far my phone travels with me - it doesn't seem to count car or bus travel - I haven't worked out how it knows the difference given that at times I'm walking faster than the traffic around).

I started the journey in May last year, but have no doubt whatsoever that some people will catch me up before I finish.

>10 gilroy: Hope all goes well.

>14 MrsLee: That sounds interesting - I'm 51 miles beyond Lothlorien right now.

This is also helping boost my audio book intake as well - any time I'm walking on my own is a great time to get a little further through an audio book.

Will a fitbit count my dance steps in the kitchen?

>18 clamairy: I think it will count your dancing. It counts my high stepping, it even counts some of my more vigorous tossing and turning at night as steps, which I'm glad of because at least I know they are of some use. However, it doesn't count when I'm jiggling my legs at my desk, or shaking my arm.

I only made it 5 more miles today, so it looks as if I will be camping for the weekend somewhere between Frogmorton and Whitfurrows. Not good, since we are expecting a rainy weekend. Oh well.

>3 clamairy: She had no idea how beautiful JRRT's language was. Loves it.

I'm wondering how accurate my phone is at tracking. Today, I went out for a walk and thought that perhaps the hills involved were what had maybe accounted for how tired I was in relation to how far it thought I'd travelled combined with a bad night's sleep.

According to the phone, I've done 3 miles over the whole of the day. According to googlemaps, the 'I'm out walking' part of the day alone, there was approximately a mile more in difference meaning today is 4 miles rather than less than 3. I programmed yesterday's walks in and didn't get such a massive difference. hmmm. Well I'll keep using the phone as I know for sure it's more accurate than the pedometer I was using before. Still from a health point of view (if not a getting to Mordor one) it means I'm likely making more steps than I thought which has to be good, right?

Apparently a lot depends on how strong the satellite signals are in your area, and how accurate the GPS in your phone is as well. I have mine set to check constantly, as much for Pokémon Go as for my walking app.

#19 That cinches it for me. I'm ordering the Atlas. :o)

I think I'm going to see if my Barnes and Noble has the atlas. I just looked and my library carries it, but I think I'd rather have my own copy as reference. I bet it's beautiful.

I just looked on Amazon and bought the paperback version for $18. The hardcover was $35. The Kindle version was even cheaper, but I'd have to use my tablet to view it properly and it didn't seem worth the effort.

Oh, well, maybe I'll just get it from Amazon. Thanks for the heads up.

I'm sure B&N would have it, too.

I love the atas, pouring over maps has always been an obsession of mine.

>21 Peace2: That's why I went with the fitbit. My phone was not catching my steps consistently. Since I know it is a mile from home to work, and my steps are fairly consistent, I became tired of my phone giving me 1500 steps one day on the trip, and 2500 the next. Irritating, to say the least. I have not seen that inconsistency with the fitbit.

>28 MrsLee: Which Fitbit do you have? I've got a Flex right now, but am seriously considering an upgrade.

>28 MrsLee: Same. As a small child I used to copy maps into little notebook that I carried around. One of my brothers likes to tell the story that an adult saw me studiously working on a drawing while laying on the floor and asked me if I was drawing a bunny, to which I exasperatedly replied, "No... it's Iceland." I was about 3 or 4 years old.

>30 clamairy: I love that!

>29 gilroy: Mine is the Alta. Chosen more for its trim looks and accessorizing band than for any other functionality, I'm afraid to say. :) I held off on getting one for so long because they were plug-ugly, but this one I adore.

*sigh* No elves spotted yet.

>28 MrsLee: I earned a BS in Geography. Cartography was one of my favorite classes. I think I made three maps that year (by hand, it was before computers could do them well). I loved it!

>33 catzteach: That is very impressive. Do you miss it?

>34 clamairy: I do. Being able to teach geography and geology has been great, but there is a part of me that wonders if I could've made it in the mapmaking world.

Well, at least this thread has inspired me to charge my Fitbit, which has been sitting on a shelf since I was sick. I'm not even going to try to walk to Mordor, though, as it would take me so long that I would forget where I was going.

I love maps, too. When I was a kid, I used to spend hours poring over atlases of both real and fictional places. My kids don't understand my fascination with maps and atlases at all.

>36 SylviaC: I hear yah. It's definitely put things in a new perspective for me. In 5 days I still have not covered the ground the hobbits did on their first. Granted our weather took a very nippy turn, but I have used the treadmill a few times. I'm at 16.5 miles.

>36 SylviaC:
Maybe we can just walk around the Shire.

>38 suitable1: that could be counterproductive, as there is danger of stopping off at Hobbit households for various breakfasts and such.

>38 suitable1: and >39 Darth-Heather: Sounds good to me!

>39 Darth-Heather: Thought that was part of the point of walking around the shire. :)

This is fantastic! Makes my trudging around a ward at work much more enjoyable!

>42 fif: It does!

My atlas came yesterday! Seems I spent last night camping out a few miles behind MrsLee. It does help to know she's not far down the road. I also got my Fitbit, and I expect my daily mileage will creep up a smidgen. Mostly because it counts every step, whereas before I was only counting my outside & treadmill walks. That means I should actually be able to spend the night in Frogmorton tonight. Or at least grab a pint at the pub before finding some roots to sleep on.

>43 clamairy: So glad you got the atlas! I'm on the banks of the Brandywine tonight. Unless some Black Riders show up, I won't be crossing until tomorrow.

Having a hard time from the Atlas telling where the old forest is. I want to visit Tom Bombadil.

Wait! Just found more details on page 120! I'm at Farmer Maggot's house tonight enjoying mushrooms! Tomorrow I hope to make it to the Brandyberry ferry.

>44 MrsLee: the banks of the Brandywine

I think some local town planners must have been LotR fans, as there is a town named Brandywine less than an hour away from me. :)

ETA: Sadly, I've not taken up this challenge as of yet. The weather here has been ... unpredictable of late. From sunny and 80s to 30s and hail then back to 60s and sunny -- All within a few days.

>45 gilroy: Yeah, March weather. I think we've had that kind of weather all in one day! For several days now. Cloudy, with bits of sun, then hail, then wind with a chill factor in the 30s, or any combination therein. I'm hoping to have a break of nice weather now for at least a few days.

{Whack on forehead}

I actually thought this thread was going to be a group read Of LOTR! "Walk" was a metaphor, I thought!

Sheesh. No wonder I thought my reading aloud might lag the group.

I'm not a prolific walker. Wondering whether I can bicycle over the route when it gets a little warmer, and before that travel by spinning bike...

>47 stellarexplorer: I'll admit I did wonder if you were confused. But you seemed so happy that I decided not to say a word. :o)

Feel free to come along by whatever mode you desire.

>48 clamairy:

Uber?

>49 suitable1: I'm standing right outside the Old Mill in Hobbiton. I'm trying to get an Uber, but for some reason I can't get the app to load?!

>48 clamairy: Appreciate your not wanting to rain on my parade. But inevitably the time would come when I'd feel a little sheepish. {:-|)

>47 stellarexplorer:

Maybe we should start a group read to support the walkers. It's been decades since I last read LOTR.

>52 suitable1:, makes me wonder if we have had a group read of Tolkien in this group. I don't remember one, and somehow it seems very inappropriate if we haven't!

>52 suitable1:, 53 It does seem so!

>51 stellarexplorer: I didn't say anything because I wasn't sure exactly what you thought was going on. LOL

>52 suitable1: >53 MrsLee: That might be fun, but I'll be walking so much slower than we'll be reading. :o)

I made it to Whitfurrows! I'm at 31.1 miles for March so far. I'm definitely covering more ground each day using the Fitbit.

MrsLee, I see I'm going to have to hustle if I'm ever going to get close to you.

Ack! I need to order an Atlas. I'm going to make a confession, please don't kick me out of the walk, but I've never actually read LOTR. *hangs head in shame* I've read The Hobbit, though. And loved the LOTR movies.

>57 catzteach: No worries. :o) I'm sure you're not alone, even in this group.

>57 catzteach: My confession is that I read it, and thought it was...okay. But I love The Hobbit.

>57 catzteach: >59 SylviaC: Mine is that, as embarrassing as it is to make an assertion like this, I love it and view it as one of the great works of world literature, a treasure.

>57 catzteach: My confession is more grievous than yours... I've not read either LotR or The Hobbit. (But loved the LotR movies. Not seen the Hobbit ones yet.)

>60 stellarexplorer: I'm with you, I love every word. I also love the movies - I know they took certain liberties for cinematography reasons, but I was delighted that everything looked exactly the way I had always pictured it.

Managed to cross the Brandywine yesterday, no Black Riders in sight (only a dental hygienist, which is close).

Since we all seem to be in a testimonial confession mode, I love the books, I love the movies, I love everything I've ever read by Tolkien about Middle Earth. I do however, see the flaws and understand why some do not love them. It was all I could do, when teaching my children history, to not include the history of Middle Earth in our timeline. Happily, they love it as much as I do, so we had two timelines.

>63 MrsLee: What was the date for the start of your walk, MrsLee? According to the chart in post #9 it's 70 miles from Bag End to the river. (Or are you using only your atlas? Because on there a straight shot would be about 50 miles I think.)

Also love the books and films, except for the final segment of The Hobbit... which I won't speak about in here.

I started tracking on Feb. 6th I think. I'm not being scientific at all about this. I'm using the atlas, with my fingers estimating distance. :) So, if I took the actual path of the Hobbits, I am not near the river yet. I've walked 55.82 miles so far.

ETA: I hadn't clicked on the link up there to see the actual chart. I'll start going by that now, since it is so detailed. Which means, I am in a sunny spot, not across the river!

The thing I love about the chart is all the details I've completely forgotten. I'm going to see my first Black Rider today! Gets my heart pumping. :o)

Last night we got from Gandalf telling Bilbo to put the envelope on the mantle, not to give it to him, up to Bilbo disappearing over the low place in the hedge. Then I heard rhythmic deep breathing.

So let's call it generously 50 feet.

:o) I hope you weren't offended.

>68 clamairy: Par for the course. Should've started earlier if I'd expected to cover some serious ground!

Maybe you're the human equivalent of Old Man Willow and your voice has a soothing soporific effect.

Could be. But I'm a less evil entity than the Old Man. And more mobile. ;)

OK, using the chart, at 61 miles, I am FINALLY at the edges of Farmer Maggot's field, there will be mushrooms on the menu tonight!

Save them for second breakfast. :)

>72 MrsLee: Yum! Have you ever just eaten them roasted as they do in FotR? I have not, but I have tossed them on the grill with just a spritz of EVOO and a sprinkling of salt and they are wonderful.

Saw my first Black Rider at some point yesterday! w000h000!

>74 clamairy: I've taken to roasting mine in the oven. Sliced on a pan, a drizzle of EVOO, salt, pepper and roast at 450° for 10 min., stir, back in the hot oven for another 5-10 min. Much of the time and heat depends on your roasting pan and oven. It's a trial and error thing.

Love them grilled, sauted, fried, baked, roasted, marinated...

My son says we're doing it wrong. He says we need to have gamer's dice and every third day roll them to see how bad our situation is compared to the movie or book. It sounds complicated, but a fun concept.

>76 MrsLee: ha ha! your son is right!

Tonight I roasted (and ate most of) a whole container of Portabellas in honor of Farmer Maggot.

>76 MrsLee: Ha! I'm sure we have some of those floating around the house somewhere.

I ordered my atlas on Friday. I'm only about 80 miles into the journey. I'll be able to pick up my pace once the weather gets warmer.

I've passed the 1000 mile point - my feet are tired and my bones are weary.

At 74.3 miles, I'm about to enter the Old Forest.

>80 Peace2: I hear ya!

I made it to Farmer Maggot's!
w00h00!

I made it 13 miles on day one (I'm biking it), and then family came to town. Pretty sure the Nazgul are catching up...

ETA: Many, many thanks to Peace for the spreadsheet!

Well, I spent the money and upgraded my Fitbit today. Got myself a Charge 2. If I go backed on the numbers since March 1, I'm 34 miles in. However, I need to get my stride corrected in the system, so I am going to delay my start of my walk until I can get the stride length set right.

Slight panic today - my MP3 player jammed and wouldn't play - the button worked for selecting everything except 'play' - so I could scroll and select and rewind and forward but I couldn't play. Fortunately this was just as I got home so I could make alternative arrangements, but the thought of doing all my walking with it is.... positively terrifying!

At 82.7 miles I am walking the path in the forest, gently climbing. That must be why my thighs are killing me, and not the few burpies I did yesterday. :P

So glad you are all on the journey!

>82 clamairy: Enjoy the mushrooms and homemade bread with cheese!

Uh Oh. Stopped by Old Man Willow to rest a bit this weekend. You may not hear from me for a bit. :P

My Atlas of Middle Earth came today! Yay! The Husband is liking it, too.

I'm a bit ahead of you MrsLee, but not much, maybe ten miles. I really need to print those charts.

And, Peace, I'd love to have a copy of the spreadsheet!

So gave away the ring well before I got to Mordor. :)

>89 gilroy: Congrats! :o)

>88 catzteach: More than happy to share the spreadsheet with you I'm using - if you want to ping me an email address in a pm, I'll send it over when I get back from work on Monday evening.

I'm in the Old Forrest as well. On a gently climbing path, apparently. :o) Still a few days away from Old Man Willow.

>88 catzteach: Yay!

>91 Peace2: message sent. :)

>93 catzteach: Reply sent - Happy walking! Ooops - resent - hopefully to right place this time.

>94 Peace2: thanks! It's awesome! I'll input the info this weekend. I can add another 7.63 miles for today. :)

Tonight I am camped in the western part of the Midgewater Marshes.

It was soooo easy to calculate, thanks to the spreadsheet!

I made it to Tom Bombadil's yesterday, after being rescued from the clutches of our favorite hobbit-eating tree. :o)

>96 catzteach: How are those hobbit-eating midges?

Whew! I just got out of the Barrow downs. Fusty, smelly, creepy old place. But scored a sword!

>97 clamairy: You will probably catch up to me soon! I don't plan on a lot of walking this weekend since I'm going away for a girl's getaway! Most walking we will do is across the street from the Inn to the Mexican restaurant and back. :)

I think I'm just trolling the Shire for all the good food. :)

>98 MrsLee: I was just about to ask if you'd been seen lately, or whether we need to send out a search party.

Maybe I should be checking my progress more often. Because I am already passed the Barrow Downs. According to the chart last night I reached the "Former boundary of Cardolan, part of the North Kingdom of Arnor." At least Tom is still will us.

>101 clamairy: Me too. Totally skipped my stay in Bree. :( However, I now have Aragorn Strider with me!

>102 MrsLee: Ooooh! I have that to look forward to. :o) I'm thinking of wasting paper and printing out the chart so I can see where I am daily. Or I guess I could just save it to my phone... Maybe I'll do that. But then I can't write on it to mark my progess. :o/ *sigh*

ETA: I saved it as a word file and printed it two-sided in .7 font so it only used two sheets of paper. Now I can see where I am before I go to sleep each night.
:o) Apparently Strider spotted us last night but hid. Muwahaha!

>30 clamairy: He just wasn't ready for a woman like you! ;)

I'mgoing to do what you did. I mean print it.

>104 MrsLee: No one is! :o)

And good for you. I probably won't post daily, but I think I'll be a lot more engaged in the process if I can see where I am every day.

Apparently, at 153 milesish, I am in a good spot. "Ground dropping slowly, quiet and peaceful."

End of March update on Walking to Mordor : 1060.39 miles just under 250 miles to go to get to Rauros - currently predicted to get there by 23rd June.

83.55 miles, middle of the Old Forest! At this rate I'll be back home in...3580.5 days.

I seem to be in eastern Chetwood. I'm not eager to come out because there is a long slog through midges ahead for me. :/

Which seems appropriate, because there are tons of starving mosquitoes coming out right now here at home.

>109 MrsLee: I think I've just about caught up with you! I was at 161 last night. I should be leaving Chetwood today, and I'm not thrilled about meeting the midges either. :o(

No skeeters here yet, but lots of peepers. And I saw that my bats are back. :o)

Hit 178 last night. Oh yay. Midges. :oS

I'm past Weathertop and camping in thickets tonight.

Still trudging through the Marshes. I have to say, I have the right sound effects here with all my frogs.

I'm two miles away from seeing the flashes of light in the east! Weather forecast is thunder and lightening in the next day or so. Seemingly, the world at large is intent on providing effects for my walk to Mordor. I just hope it doesn't provide the terror of the Black Riders and other horrors along the way.

One pair of shoes gave up the ghost last week while I was walking to work. New shoes have rubbed blisters and they're not even on my heels - they're round the side below the ankle bone! Awesome.... *sigh* Combined with ongoing coldy/fluey symptoms and I'm not making good progress this week. I still have about 218 miles to go to get to Rauros.

>114 Peace2: Ouch! I hope they heal quickly!

I've been stagnant as well. I've been working late to get my papers done for my professional development course I'm doing. Once that is done, hopefully within the next couple of weeks, I can start really exercising again.

212 miles for me, have awakened by a stream, studded with alder trees. Paper says moon is waxing, but I know for a fact it is waning, because I was doing my yoga by the full moon this last week. Looking ahead to the ruins of Weathertop.

Lots of rain and cold here, which means I am not walking to work as frequently as I would wish. Patience, grasshopper, summer will come. With a vengeance most likely. Then I will have to figure out how to get my walking in when it is triple digits outside.

>116 MrsLee: yeah, the weather here isn't helping. I'm ready to be outside more, but with it being only in the 40s, that's not going to happen. Well, I can run, but I won't ride my bike until it's over 50.

I was at 219 miles last night. It's been pretty nice here. :o)

Just added up my miles. I'm at 306, which means I'm following a wide shallow curving valley.

>118 clamairy: Pant, pant, trying to catch up! I'm at 218 miles this morning. Sadly, thunderstorms predicted right when I should be walking to work, but maybe later today I can push on.

What do Hobbits do when it rain during an adventure?

>121 suitable1: I am only a Hobbit in training. And I don't have a ring. So I'm not walking in the rain to work. So there. :P

Besides, if you walk in the rain and get too wet, you might shrink

I'm at 234 miles this morning. It took me awhile to find that cunningly hidden path, but I did. I don't have Sam to recite for me, so I am listening to Harry Dresden tell his story.

>121 suitable1: I seem to remember they just got wet. There wasn't much weather in LoTR, but in TH there are plenty of damp cloaks and drips off the end of beards - ok that was the dwarfs, but I'm sure Bilbo was wet too.

I'm at 242 and bad things happened to Frodo last night. :o(

I think the weather might be matching the story here. It's been gray and damp the last couple of days.

257 miles. Trudging on. Have had a hard time motivating myself lately, but must keep on to get Frodo some help. Rivendale seems so far away.

Uh oh.... haven't checked for a while. Thankfully I found a handy thingy on my Fitbit dashboard that lets me plug in a date range and get my miles. (Up until now I've just been doing it a few days at a time, and scrolling through each day and adding it up. TMI, I know.)

I'm at 292 miles, which means I'm three days out from Weathertop.

(EDT: Originally posted May 3. Fixed a typo and the date changed.)

>128 clamairy: 283 miles here. Is Frodo beginning to get on your nerves? I mean, we love him of course, but I miss my sleep.

I have only found the thingy on my Fitbit that lets me look at 3 months or 1 year at a time.

Are you tracking your sleep patterns?

>129 MrsLee: The whimpering in pain thing can only be tolerated for so long.

Yes I am! The Sleep Stages thing finally showed up on my app this week. That's what I bought the thing for. The steps/mileage tracker is just a bonus feature. I'm getting the appropriate % of REM and Deep sleep for my age/gender, but not enough of it this week. (Thanks to my cat who has decided she needs love at first light the last 3 days. Once my son brings his cat home this weekend I will be keeping my door shut at night. I don't want Belle to get lonely.)

The ability to add up miles by date is only on the Dashboard on the PC, not on my phone. If you still can't find it let me know and I'll see if I can write up some instructions.

>130 clamairy: Oh, I haven't ever looked at the Dashboard on my PC. Guess I should figure out how to do that sometime! :)

I only have the Alta, not the new and improved Alta, so I don't think it tracks the sleep stages? Mine (on the phone), shows me my restless and awake times. I'm playing with my beverage intake at night. I read that gin can help arthritic pain, so I've been having a small shot in the evening, then I was having a hot tea because it was a nice routine for Mark and I. I experimented with caffeinated kinds, but have found that when I have caffeine in the evening, the urge to pee at about 2 or 3am is too strong to resist. If I avoid caffeine, that urge can be ignored. Also, I began taking my golden milk about 1/2 hour before bed and that seems to make me sleep without any restlessness for the first 4 or 5 hours. Either that, or the gin, not sure which, so more experimentation is required. I don't really want to drink gin every night though, so I'm hoping it's the golden milk.

I made it to Weathertop last night! Time to start carrying Frodo, I guess.

>131 MrsLee: What is golden milk? And I love the sleep stages! Turns out I spend more time in REM than women of my age usually do. Not surprised at that as I've always been a vivid dreamer. I used to just assume everyone dreamed a lot but just didn't remember their dreams like I do.

>132 AngelaB86: Yay! And, yup!

>133 clamairy: This amount makes enough for 2 - 6-8 oz. cups of milk

1 t. turmeric
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. ginger
pinch of black pepper
1 t. coconut oil

Mix into a paste, add to milk of your choice (I use cow's milk, others use almond, etc.), heat gently. Stir in 1 t. honey (more or less to taste), stir and sip. It's a lovely flavor. That in itself is enough for me.

But it also has benefits for health. Turmeric and cinnamon are good for inflammation reduction and high blood pressure, especially if you add the black pepper which has a chemical that helps the turmeric chemicals activate. Turmeric is a blood thinner though, so if you decide to do this regularly, you need to tell your doctor.

Now, are all of those things just folk remedies? I don't know. I do know the placebo effect is strong and as long as it doesn't hurt you, why not? I think it helps me and it tastes fantastic.

I have made it with powder or fresh turmeric and ginger. Wonderful both ways, although fresh can have a texture not everyone desires (I like it with little bits in it to chew, and my Vitamix gets rid of most of them). I do fresh as a rule because I can, but it is good to make enough to last a week or so in the fridge. It's easier that way.

One hint, if you are using a blender, and you think it will help to puree it to add a little water, don't. It makes a mess. Add more coconut oil instead.

>134 MrsLee: Thank you! Might give it a shot at some point. :o)

I'm at 379 miles, and I still haven't made it to Rivendell!

>136 clamairy: 29 miles behind you. *trudge, trudge*

I bought some bluetooth earbuds, and I like 'em, but this morning they told me the battery was dying, so I walked to work listening to traffic, birds, squirrels and whatnot instead of Thursday Next.

>137 MrsLee: Out of curiosity, how do you recharge them/replace the battery? How long does the battery last - approximately?

>138 Peace2: Mine have a port for a USB cable, and happily I bought a Tardis USB thingy to hook into my computer, so I have enough ports. One for my fitbit, one for my earbuds, one for my cuecat, and one for my Kindle.

I'm going to see if it will do to charge them on Wednesday and Friday evenings. I only listen with them when I walk to work (40 minutes a day if all goes well). I've only had mine 1 week.

I have made it to Rivendell!!! Woohoo!

>137 MrsLee: Not to butt in on the conversation, but my bluetooth headphones have 8 hours of play time after a charge. I like mine because it tells me how much is left when I turn them on.

>140 catzteach: Ah, I'm still all bumbly-fumbly with mine, figuring out how they work and sync, etc. They did tell me when the battery was low, so I wonder if I actually had them in my ear when I turned them on if they would tell me that?

A left-handed gripe. The controls are on the right ear, and very close up to the ear, so I can't see them when the earphone is in my ear and I'm just rather dumb about it. Suppose that with time this will all become easy, but why does it have to be such a learning curve every time I get a new piece of technology?

361 miles for me, so, still about 90 miles to go before I reach Rivendell. Now I am in the hills, hope there are not trolls...

I got to see the Stone Trolls yesterday, and listen to Sam's poem. He's so cute. I'm at 399mi. Looking forward to meeting Glorfindel next week *swoon* (I once had a goldfish named Glorfindel).

Dagnabbit, I missed the trolls! :o(

I'm at 445 miles, and "hobbling along" according to the print-out. I'm only 12 miles from Rivendell so I should reach it by Sunday evening. I'm going to have to print out the next few pages of the walk details.

Currently listening to "The Fellowship of the Ring" when walking alone (which reminds me I must recharge the mp3 player). Tom Bombadil has just come to the rescue of Merry and Pippin thankfully.

I've made it to about 1,224.54 miles but haven't got to Rauros yet - if things go well I'll get there at the end of this month, but there's not a lot of leeway so it may be early next month. I've invested in a new pair of shoes in the hope of less discomfort when I'm walking... I may need luck with that as my shoe buying of late has not been a roaring success on any front!

Typically we're now predicted a few days of high wind and heavy rain - this also will not assist my progress.

Last night we camped by the River Bruinen. We hobbits are hobbling along!

I've been walking but not paying much attention to how much and where I'm supposed to be in ME. Shame on me. Things got a little busy what with gardening season descending upon us. And then I went to NYC for a weekend.

So it seems I did indeed hit Rivendell on June 4th. And then I promptly forgot about it. So now I'm 61 miles past Rivendell and I just passed a small stream. I don't think things will be getting too exciting for another 200 miles at least.

I haven't updated my mileage since I hit Rivendell. I'll work on that this weekend.

I made it to Rivendell on the 13th! Approximately 55 days until Lothlorian.

Whew! I'm overlooking Rivendell from the cliff's edge. Remember that view all you all? So lovely. By the time I get to work this morning, I will be in Rivendell and I plan to spend the weekend there resting and recovering and enjoying the food. Unlike most hobbits, I really enjoy salad and vegetables and light bits of meat. And elf music.

I won't be walking much the next few days. It doesn't get below 80° right now. I'm going to try this tomorrow for exercise; I will get up at 5am, go garden for an hour, then come in to do yoga, shower and coffee before work. I may even make my coffee tonight so I can have a cup first thing to get my eyes open.

>150 MrsLee: I'm impressed! Good luck with that! I'm not sure I could do that here, both because there are too many skeeters at that hour and also because I would be hard pressed to get my sorry carcass out of bed that early for gardening. I can do it to catch a plane or a train, but probably not for that. :o/

I reached Rauros on the 26th June and finished listened to The Fellowship of the Ring today. Am still walking and now heading for Mount Doom - eeek! Will listen to a few other things before I start on The Two Towers - it's going to take me a while to get there after all. I think I shall plan to watch the movie in the near future.

>152 Peace2: how are the audio books? I have never read the books and am contemplating listening to them.

I've been hiking, running, and riding. I haven't entered my miles in a while. Last time I did, I was past Rivendell and just in the middle of nowhere.

I'll try to remember to do my mileage today. With my riding (66 miles yesterday), I should be pretty far.

>153 catzteach: I picked up a box set of The Hobbit and all three parts of The Lord of the Rings read by Rob Inglis a while back - I've now listened to The Hobbit and The Fellowship and they're pretty good. I'll admit to it being a very long time since I've read the books though.

I think you're going to rapidly pass me with those sorts of distance, any chance of a lift?

>154 Peace2: I'll have to see what my library has. I won't always be riding that far. It was my longest ride to date. That said, I do have a 50 mile ride this weekend and a 45 mile ride in August.

Just entered all my miles from about mid June to today. I have entered the woods of Lothlorien and crossed the Silverlode on ropes (I think I'm glad I was blindfolded as I'm scared of heights). I am now camping, sleeping on the ground, and am still blindfolded.

I've lost track of where I'm at on the walk since Rivendell, but this morning I was being chased by a wolf-like creature on my walk. :( Was saved by a passing car which drove between us and stayed there until I was at the next block. My own version of an eagle! Lady in car told me she had been attacked by that dog in her own garage.

It hadn't attacked me yet, but I was having to stare it down and it was advancing with teeth bared. I thought I was going to have to try to kill a dog. Didn't dare turn my back. I was hollering for owners, but they never came out. I'm wondering if I should file a complaint with the police? What if I had been a kid and afraid and ran? Stupid owners.

>157 MrsLee:

I would say to file a complaint and/or carry pepper spray. The dog sounds dangerous.

>157 MrsLee: Sounds like you need to practice the ungentle art of wrapping your arm in a towel (for the dog to bite on) and carrying a brick (to brain it with).

>157 MrsLee: definitely file a complaint. Glad that car stopped to help you.

I have started listening to the book. Sort of. I thought I was checking out the audio version, but it's actually a BBC radio production of the book. Actors, sound effects, and a narrator. So far, it's pretty fun.

>157 MrsLee: I would say definitely report it (I don't know who you would report it to you in your area), but the next person it does the same too might not be as calm and know what to do to minimise the danger or be fortunate enough to have someone drive past and help. Or it might decide to attack with less warning - like the other lady said it had attacked her in her garage - that's not its territory - to me it sounds dangerous and insufficiently controlled by its owners.

Safe walking in your next efforts to get to Mordor - may the dangers you face in your journey be all on the page and not in reality!

I did call the police, unhappily, I could not tell them exactly which house it belonged to, but I know there have been other reports on that dog. The dispatcher said it was good to call, it would be on file and they would keep an eye out for it being lose (we have leash laws), but that next time call during the incident so they could come over and catch the dog. Really, I thought about calling them, but didn't have the number programmed into my cell, and I didn't want to take my eye off the creature to fiddle with my phone. It is in there now!

>158 suitable1: Is pepper spray effective against dogs? My husband wants me to have some anyway, but I'm always afraid I'll be the one who turns it the wrong way to spray. Same reason I don't carry a gun!

>159 hfglen: I suppose this would be an instance of never leave home without your towel and don't panic? They do say to carry weights when you walk for an extra boost. I suppose a brick would be that. Still, I like to walk unencumbered. A towel over my shoulders might be okay though. Perhaps a towel and some pepper spray!

>160 catzteach: That production sounds kind of fun! Is it the one Ian Holm was in? I thought he was in a radio production, but it's been a long time since I watched all the special features.

>161 Peace2: Thank you, I really have to get my atlas out and figure out where I am in the journey.

>157 MrsLee: Sweet cheeses. :o( Stay safe! I would for for the pepper Spray and not the brick. (I'm not sure if Hugh is trying to be funny, but the brick is a very bad idea.)

I have lost where I am as well. *sigh* The FitBit Dashboard says I've done 146.5 miles since the last time I posted. So I'm 207 miles (and change) out of Rivendell and still not within glimpse of the Redhorn Pass.

>162 MrsLee: it is the one with Ian Holm! It's going to take me a while to listen to it as it is 13 episodes, so 13 cds. I got through three episodes on the way to my mom's on Friday. I'll get through three more tomorrow on my way home. Then I think I'll listen tot while I finish up a quilt. I do not have a disc an anymore so I can't listen to it while walking.

I'm 616 miles into my journey. This puts me about 158 miles out of Rivendell. Camping. A lot of camping and walking in hills, sleeping in thorn bushes. Weather grey and windy. Tempers are beginning to get frayed. At least mine are. Well, they would be if I were really in those conditions.

My actual conditions are that it has been over 100° for a record number of days this summer, with no end in sight. So my walking happens before work. I walk through the Victorian homes part of our town, up and down blocks. It is nice, with no crazy dogs. Lots of interesting yards and features on the houses. By the time it is 8:00am, it is about 80°, so time to stop walking.

I purchased new shoes today. I hate buying new shoes when the others were so expensive, but I can tell they are wearing down. How did the humans manage to keep their shoes all that journey? Perhaps they received new ones at Rivendell and Lothlorien.

>165 MrsLee: You're doing well - we seem to be having the opposite problems with the weather - it's wet and windy like November meaning walking to work would mean a day spent wet and miserable and walking home is just plain unpleasant.

I'd made it 1,412.19 miles by the 31 July just over 110 miles from Rauros and roughly 370 miles to go to Mount Doom. Continued inclement weather along with work and family stuff are not letting me make up any extra miles as I'd hoped might happen in the height of 'summer'!

It feels like I'm already walking in Mordor. Air advisories have been issued to stay indoors as much as possible due to the high ozone and particulate matter caused by smoke. Fires still burning. Blech.

This may be why I've felt so lethargic this week though, and I had an odd cough Monday and Tuesday. You can all thank me for taking up the extra ozone in the atmosphere. ;) No walking outside until this clears up though.

>167 Peace2: Good job! I have no idea where I am in the walk. I need to clock my mileage.

I hear ya, Mrs. Lee. I didn't go for my run this morning because the smoke is so bad. We have two new fires in the area. One grew to 10,000 acres in a matter of an hour or two! Crazy! The heat isn't helping. Looks like gym workouts for the next couple of days. :(

How are you all getting on with your walking? I hope the conditions have improved for you all.

I managed another 108.67 miles in August which takes me up to 1,520.86 miles in total so I'm not quite half way from Rauros to Mount Doom. A few more audio books and I'll start on The Two Towers in the hope of making it to Mount Doom at around about the time I finish. I've got As Chimney Sweepers Come To Dust lined up for the next slot, so hopefully that will be a bit of happy walking time - I've been looking forward to this one.

>170 Peace2: It's been so smoky here I haven't been walking. But my Fitbit tells me I've walked the length of Italy now! As far as Mordor goes though I've lost track.

>171 MrsLee: Wow! Italy looks pretty long to me! Sorry to hear that you're still suffering under the smoke. I hope things improve for you.

>170 Peace2: Well done with your trekking! Keep it up!

>171 MrsLee: So sorry about your smoke and your ridiculous heat. And I'm in the same boat! (Not an elf-boat!) Not that I'm no longer walking, but that I've lost track.

*scrambles to do some math and print the correct guide*

My FitBit dashboard says that I've walked 538.5 miles since my last post in July, and that means not only did I get to Lothlórien, but I'm already 283 miles (2/3rds of the way) closer to Rauros. I missed a lot of action. :o(

But at least I haven't missed the Argonath!!! :o)

443 miles from Rivendell. Whew, I haven't missed Lothlorien. Finally had the blindfolds removed from my eyes and now I'm gazing around all dazed like at the beeewtiful woods (and elves).

You know, I would gladly pay for an app that let me plug in my daily walking numbers and would calculate where I am in any given world, be it real or imagined.

>164 catzteach: - that's an old production. I remember being given it as tapes when in secondary school. Even at 13 hrs it's abridged, doesn't have the Old Forest etc in it, but is fine story telling.

Disappointing progress this last month - I had hoped that I would be able to make it to Mount Doom before the end of November, whereas the predictions have now pushed it to early December. Somehow I can't see me making up the missing time/miles this month.

I'm still walking, but I have no idea where I'm at right now. All I know is, it's getting darker, so I must be heading into the land of Mordor! ;)

>178 MrsLee:

It will be better on Monday, unless you walk in the evening.

>179 suitable1: Hmm, for us, not until the 13th I believe?

>180 MrsLee:

First Sunday in November.

>181 suitable1: Oops, my Googling skills need work.

Just found out there is now a 'Walking to Mordor' app, but I have to say the comments on the Google Play page make me wonder if it's worth even trying. You have to add your mileage manually at the end of each day. And people complain there are tons of ads with no option for a paid version to make the ads go away.

>183 clamairy: I got rid of my fitbit and am not walking consistently, just hanging out here in the Shire now. :/

>184 MrsLee: Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. I'd rather be swimming, to be honest, but walking is so much easier most of the year. I'm still trying to do 10,000 steps a day. I probably miss about one day a month.

>184 MrsLee: >185 clamairy: I don't really get what this is or ever was about, although I do see some kind of walking challenge, but I'm stymied by the numbers in post #9. Are we to understand that Frodo and Sam walked a journey of several thousand miles? That seems extreme, even for fantasy fiction, unless it took them years.

>186 Meredy: Karen Wynn Fonstad says the trip from Hobbiton to Mount Doom was 1779 miles. Granted they did some of the journey by boat, but that's a really long way to walk in six months.

>187 clamairy: 1800 miles at 4 miles an hour, means 450 hours. Averaging 5 hours walking a day is 90 days - so 3 months. Don't forget the Fellowship stopped at Rivendell for an indeterminate length of time, and spent a few days at Lothlorien. And probably camped for a couple of nights at a time in the same spot.

Also, compared to our grandparents, we walk not nearly enough and that sort of trek would be a doddle to a countryman of Tolkein's time. Look at Patrick Leigh Fermor's walk in Between the Woods and the Water - that's a similar journey.

>186 Meredy:, >187 clamairy:, >188 Maddz:

Hope you don't mind me just visiting this esteemed hostelry with a comment on walking. Visiting pubs is, after all, an essential part of hiking. The French route of the Camino to Santiago de Compostella is about 800 km (500 miles) and many people complete it in five or six weeks. On the two occasions when I have been on the Camino, we have averaged about 20 km a day, carrying a 12 kg rucksack (which I suspect is a lot less than Samwise would have been hefting!) We've generally walked for more than five hours a day. So it would not be unreasonable to expect that people who are used to trekking could complete 1,800 miles in, say, six months.

>189 John5918: Welcome, John! I'm so happy to see you here. And of course you're right. Most of the pub hoppers are relatively well victualed at each stop, though. No stale (can it get stale?) lembas for them!

I'd completely forgotten about this thread. Since my last visit, I have corrected at least one fault. I've read the Hobbit. :) The other one is on the TBR pile now. Behind a couple science fiction and literature rated books...

>191 gilroy: YAY!

Wow. Just wow. This thread is the first milepost. It documents that I set out to read the book to stellarwoman in March of 2017. She tends to fall asleep within a few paragraphs, and on rare occasions a few pages.
I mentioned that our walk would be measured in feet at a time. So here we are after four years just east of the shire, in the Old Forest. What is that, maybe 30 miles? Well they have been 30 precious miles, each step savored. And feet to go before she sleeps.

>193 stellarexplorer: Well, you're still working on it, so she must not hate it!

She loves it. But it doesn’t cure narcolepsy!

Is anyone here (still) doing this? I started yesterday, and I'm using the android app. The app doesn't do much, but it's easier than calculating manually. I intend to print a map and draw my progress. I'm not sure I'll ever get to Mt Doom, but maybe that's for the better. It's pretty scary over there!

>196 Ennas: I might start again. How are the ads in the app? That was the biggest complaint in the reviews. Also, do I only add my actual walks, or my total steps at the end of the day? That would be my biggest issue. I walk about 2 miles on the beach, and the rest of my steps are whatever else I do, yardwork, housework, food shopping... Etc. I'm usually at a little over 4 miles by the end of the day. Do I count the intentional 2 miles or the total?

>197 clamairy: I have only seen 1 full page ad, and a constant small one "down under". It doesn't bother me at all (yet?).

You can add whatever you want, right? A.t.m. I only add intentional kms, but I might change that to everything or even add cycling too. Mordor is FAR! (Only muscle-powered kms for me, though. No cars or buses or trains.)

Not walking to Mordor, but one could say nevertheless walking to avoid a global disaster of the scale of Sauron and his ring!

They would walk 500 miles: meet the Cop26 pilgrims who got to Glasgow on foot (Guardian)

Accompanied by songs, stories and a stash of lentils, a group trekked from London, connecting with their faith, the countryside and the people they met along the way...

>199 John5918: Interesting article. I am a little confused by the description of the vicar "yo-yoing up and down the country" to join the walkers intermittently., tbough. Surely that must mean that she uses more petrol than if she had simply travelled by bus, car or yrain in the first place?