[Tuor in Gondolin]

A clarification on elves wandering from an area such as Harlindon to Fangorn.
I actually had two points in the above post.
The lack of a continuous forest wouldn't necessarily preclude wandering
bands going south around the Misty Mountains. In addition to
avoiding difficult winter weather it would be an exploratory/discovery
trip, especially if they got the chance to talk to the folk (Ents) that
elves gave speech to, or perhaps to visit a believed friendly maia
once he took over guardianship of Orthanc.

And the road from Rivendell to the Gray Havens also had considerable
non-tree covered areas.