Monday, 1 May 2942 T. A.: Back to Rivendell at last

Descent to Rivendell from the east
(rear Lauterbrunnen Valley, ca. 1885, artist unknown)

Oh, yes, Gandalf and Bilbo are on the road again! They must have left Beorn at some day between 15 and 20 April and cross the same pass that they had taken on the way east, just that this time there were neither stone giants nor orcs outdoors. 

On this day, in 2942 T. A., the two of them safely arrived in Rivendell. Bilbo in his tiredness lost track of time and fell asleep right after sunset.

About six weeks to go till Bag-end. John Rateliff notes that the draft of the final chapter dated the arrival sooner, on 2 June, but this date was amended probably to make the travel time back agree with the travel time there. Meaning, of course, that Gandalf and Bilbo spent three times as much time on the road (or in the Prancing Pony ...) than Frodo and the other hobbits did - even including Strider's detour during the Trollshaws!