Elrond sent out scouts and messengers ahead of the Fellowship, and it took two months for them to go out and come back with their reports.
The earlier years don't have many actual dates, right?
That's true, only The Great Years have actual dates. Earlier and later years just give the year, no dates.
Yeah, that was Tolkien's excuse. I think he just wanted to make the trip as unpleasant as possible.
Corin, I'm ignoring that post.