Potential ultimate M-E living history experience

So moot it be...

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Udwin
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Potential ultimate M-E living history experience

Post by Udwin »

(the things one figures out while procrastinating on schoolwork! Also, I'm sleep-deprived, so apologies if this doesn't make much sense!)

So...
(This is based on a Shire Reckoning in which Mid-year Day = 21 June Gregorian).
In about four years from now (2020-21), the lunar cycle is going to match up with that of the period depicted in the LotR, Autumn 3018 - Spring 3019 TA.
I'm calculating from the known Full moon of 8 Rethe S.R. (27 Feb Gregorian) (which Frodo sees setting over Gondor), but it checks out with the other dates as well.

This means that during this period, you could go out at night, look up at the sky, and see the same arrangement of constellations and moon phases as Tolkien's characters do on a given day/time.

The next time this will come even close to happening is in forty-three years (2059!), making it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. None of us are getting any younger, and because I've learned that these kinds of things usually succeed when you start planning them long in advance, I thought it might be fun to brainstorm some kind of organized event/experience that we here could make happen during this period.

To get started, I'll throw out some ambitious possibilities:
-A multi-day, group distance trek? (on foot, canoes, etc)
-Some kind of individual challenge?--like, sleep outdoors for a week?
-The ultimate feat would be to pick a day (or several days, if you can swing it) and try to emulate the Fellowship's travels and distances(Fonstad's Atlas comes in handy).

What do you think?
Personae: Aistan son of Ansteig, common Beorning of Wilderland; Tungo Brandybuck, Eastfarthing Bounder, 3018 TA; a native Man of the Greyflood, c.850 SA
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Elleth
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Re: Potential ultimate M-E living history experience

Post by Elleth »

That... does sound amazing. Four years goes fast, but it's time enough to plan something awesome.

I know I'll have even more responsibilities then, but barring a disaster in the interim, I could manage I think to carve a week away.
Something like this does have the makings for an experience for the ages.

Latitude allowing- if we're thinking once-in-a-lifetime - can I propose as one option Alaska? There are places you can step there that have seen scarce a human foot since the dawn of the world. In the right season and far enough south, it's a primordial heaven. Too late and wool blankets won't be enough, too early and there's no night to speak of: but hit the right time and it's unforgettable.
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Re: Potential ultimate M-E living history experience

Post by Greg »

I attempted to make something like this try to happen once upon a time, and the proposed location was the John Muir Trail in California, which goes from the base of Half Dome in Yosemite valley (valley of massive waterfalls) to the peak of Mt. Whitney, the highest in the lower 48. In short, Rivendell to Caradhras.

Alaska would be awesome, and it'd be great to be able to get Jack in on something like this...but I forsee some big difficulties in getting a decent group of folks to meet there. We'd do better attendance-wise somewhere along the Appalachian trail, though CA's mountain terrain would be more ideal for placing you on the initial stretch of the Fellowship route.

I'm game, regardless.
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Re: Potential ultimate M-E living history experience

Post by Brownno »

Whatever we plan I will try and join since this sounds amazing. If you need help planing I can try when I am not doing my schoolwork.
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Re: Potential ultimate M-E living history experience

Post by wulfgar »

May have to plan a trek on the Ozark Highlands or Ouachita trail. Adn all would be welcome,,Arkansas is pretty central.
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Re: Potential ultimate M-E living history experience

Post by Elleth »

Greg - I do agree that epic "Middle Earthiness" kind of begs for western mountains rather than Appalachians. I love my ancient hills, but it's Shire country, not the Misty Mountains.
The saving grace is that the flora's much closer to Europe here. We've got most of the traditional trees and herbs and such.

Still just brainstorming - but perhaps a "Team East" and "Team West?"

I was looking at latitude lines, and (eek!) most of the "Fellowship" action takes place at quite high latitudes: assuming Oxford for the Shire, that's the middle of Canada, with Rivendell about the middle of Maine! (Bless the Gulf Stream, eh?)

Anyhow, on our side of the Atlantic "mountains / grand vistas / relatively uncluttered country" - Washington state has a lot going for it.
There's a fairly significant HEMA / medieval re-creationist community in the Seattle area as I recall, though I don't know anyone personally. Camlann Village wouldn't be the worst starting point in the world. :)

That's honestly more appealing to me (I've friends in that neck of the woods anyhow, and while it's not AK it's still gorgeous country).
On the east side of the US however, I suspect there's some places in the White Mountains that would fit the bill pretty well.
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Re: Potential ultimate M-E living history experience

Post by Greg »

Washington is beautiful, no doubt there...just not very central to forum members, much like Alaska.

Despite the terrain not being as ideal as, say, the western Sierra Nevada, I think a stretch of the Appalachian trail might be our best bet, because many of the eastern states that are somewhat inland tend to have much more forgiving weapons laws and campfire flexibility. Food for thought.
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Re: Potential ultimate M-E living history experience

Post by Elleth »

Any thoughts onto where on the AT?

We're not terribly far from the White Mountains area in NH, and I think we could probably play Last Homely House / rendezvous point for a trip there.
That's again in a corner of the map though. NH has pretty good weapons laws, pretty sure VT and ME do as well: MA, CT and NY are insane.

Further south the laws improve, but it's my understanding the density / built-up-ness / weather get worse.

Personally I'm at the stage of life where an extra few hundred dollars on airfare amortized over four years is far easier to come by than the time to take half a week away from worldly responsibilities - so my personal inclination is to lay a bit by each year until 2020 and fly somewhere magic. But certainly we're not all in the same boat.
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Re: Potential ultimate M-E living history experience

Post by Greg »

I can see that...it's a good point.

I guess I need to start booking my babysitter/grandparent unit a few years in advance! :D

I have some close friends in the pacific northwest...if we settled on Washington over the California sierra, I could easily get some solid trek route options from them away from it all...but if we went with the Sierra, there'd only be one option that I'd allow, because the John Muir trail is the bees' knees. Couldn't do the whole thing, though, unless we found a group willing to commit to 3+ weeks.
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Re: Potential ultimate M-E living history experience

Post by wulfgar »

You can get this kind of scenery in the Ozarks!
Image
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Re: Potential ultimate M-E living history experience

Post by Elleth »

Well, I have a proposal.

Let’s start a new thread with a poll: 2020 Middle Earth Once In A Lifetime Trek

Each post outlines one possible itinerary: said post contains:
  • dates
    emulated portion journey of the Fellowship, if relevant
    (eek! I never realized how much of the journey was over winter!)
    start and end points
    approximate miles/day
    typical weather conditions expected
    approximate rigor of the trail
    any special scenery or events along the route
    any special legal concerns (campfires, weapons laws)
    route photos if available


EXAMPLE (not pitching this one, just as an easy example):

Flight From Bree
“This Trek will approximately follow the journey from Bree to Weathertop.”
  • Dates: Oct 1 - Oct 6th 2020
    Starting Point: “Bree” (Camlann Village, Carnation WA)
    (travel by car from Carnation to trailhead )
    Ending Point: “Weathertop” ( Mt Olympus State Park, location TBD, WA)

    Approximate miles/day 10-15 (route map would go here)
    Typical weather conditions expected: Low 40s-High 60s, rain possible.
    Approximate Rigor: some steep slopes, no technical climbing. Route will go through swampy area.
    Special Scenery/Events: TBD
    Legal concerns:
    campfires: TBD
    carrying of archery equipment: TBD
    carrying of blades: TBD


We’ll add a poll to it, and anyone interested in a particular trek votes for that one.
There’s no reason we all have to settle on a single option - it’s not like they all have to happen at once, or everyone has to go on the same trip. I expect we’ll get a couple “centers of gravity” going, and they could ALL be on.

Since I’m close enough to the northern AT, I volunteer to start brainstorming/route planning one for the White Mountains if there’s interest - though I confess I’m far more interested in actually making a western trek (Greg, I’d really appreciate your friends’ help at least sketching out that one).

Wulfgar has a plan for the Ozarks it sounds like, and Greg a great route in CA. So that’s three or four right there.

Come 2020 we re-float the thread and see if everyone who posted is still in, and what new members we get between now and then say.

Sound good?


PS - I mentioned this to my fella -
“The Ranger board is talking about this awesome trek in four years.”

“That sounds great, I totally support you doing that.”
“Do you want to come?”
“Maybe.”
“I’ll sew you LARPing clothes!”
“No. No I do not want to come.”


We all have our hobbies.
:)
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Greg
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Re: Potential ultimate M-E living history experience

Post by Greg »

I'm game. I'll outline a few...see if I can't pull together something in WA, and I'll try to assemble a truncated trip on the JMT in CA.
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Re: Potential ultimate M-E living history experience

Post by Manveruon »

That sounds like a fantastic idea! There are several places in Colorado that would make excellent stand-ins for Caradhras and the Misty Mountains in general. In fact, the Rockies are pretty much ideal for basically any portion of the Misty-Mountain-leg.
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Re: Potential ultimate M-E living history experience

Post by Odigan »

This is all quite exciting!

I've no doubt we'll manage to pull something together for us MERFers for this, but practically speaking, this phenomenon has appeal far beyond our group. Perhaps once something has been established, and closer to the event itself, a more public announcement or challenge can be issued? I would imagine such an important yet obscure conjunction would be unknown to even most die-hard Tolkien fans, and may serve as a good impetus for some nationwide involvement, if only to sit under the stars for a while or take a day hike somewhere. Given the broad popularity of LOTR in popular culture this is exactly the sort of thing that groups involved in astronomy, the outdoors, and even libraries love to come across as an excuse to host events and fundraisers.

I like Elleth's call to submit proposals. I'll try and work one up of my own.
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Re: Potential ultimate M-E living history experience

Post by Udwin »

I'm so glad to see all this good thinking going on! :D
Heh heh, Elleth, Alaska would be mighty purty... but if you want to talk about once-in-a-lifetime, Go Big or Go Home experience: if we're going to do something When it happened, we might as well do it Where it happened too...I was halfway considering central/eastern Europe! (Which would be incredible, but I'll happily settle for staying on this side of the Ocean, with a handful of good Fellows on the trail.)

Odigan: it really does have the potential to bring in the many facets of Tolkien-minded folks!...with the slight hangup that it all depends on the use of Shire-Reckoning, which requires a bit of explaining (ergo the major fan hubs like TOR.N don't use it (their 'Today in M-E' feature always frustrates me to no end)).

(I'll deviate from my usual practice and use Gregorian dates in this post, for those who might want to take seasonal weather into consideration.):
As I don't seriously expect to attempt something like the midwinter Rivendell-to-Moria slog (Dec 14-Jan 3, and 150 miles as the crow flies), or the Three Hunters' superhuman Rauros-to-Rohan run (Feb 15-19, 135 miles), I've selected some of the more realistic bits:

Bag-End to Bree: Sept 13-19 - 135 miles according to Fonstad's Atlas; according to Tolkien, taking the East Road would only be 100 miles (History of the Hobbit Vol 2, p815).
Bree to Forsaken Inn: Sept 20-21 - only 20 miles by Road!
Bree to Weathertop: Sept 20-26 - 100 miles by East Road (JRRT)*
Ford of Bruinen to Rivendell: Oct 10 - "about 22 miles" **
Lorien to Rauros (downriver): Feb 5-14 - Tolkien says Lorien to Argonath is ‘230 miles direct: over 300 by water, takes 10 days’. ***
Frodo & Sam in Ithilien: Feb 25-Mar 1 - 88 miles ****

* The AT, while not a good stand-in for say, the Misties or Ithilien, could probably approximate Eriador?
** The coolest wilderness area in my region is the Red River Gorge in eastern KY; this would be the perfect time of year, and it really does have a Trollshaw/Bruinen gorge feeling.
**A long winter paddle trip would be incredible. My first thought was the Wabash, which has over 400 miles without locks or dams. Starting in northern IN could make it easier for our WI folks to get involved?
*** This is where I'd suggest for a Cali trip.
Personae: Aistan son of Ansteig, common Beorning of Wilderland; Tungo Brandybuck, Eastfarthing Bounder, 3018 TA; a native Man of the Greyflood, c.850 SA
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