: Ah, but were they using the same path as the goblins and wargs? The Eagles had been keeping an eye on the goblins, but they arrived AFTER the bad guys, so they have an "out" as well.

: : Admittedly the eagle approach would not work well as story, but
: : I have wondered myself about how much easier it would have been
: : to have a couple handy so as to avoid Cirith Ungol, perhaps if
: : Gandalf had continued with Frodo and Sam, this would have been
: : his approach?

: It really would have been impractical. The Eagles would have had to hunt every day, and once they got beyond the Misty Mountains they would have been subject to scrutiny by Sauron's minions. They did not normally operate in the southern lands. Secrecy was at the heart of the Council's strategy. When Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli were tracking the Orcs across northern Rohan Aragorn and Legolas saw Gwaihir as he was gathering news for Gandalf. If they could spot the Eagle, others should have been able to spot it as well. It's really not a very good plan at all to use the Eagles as carriers.

I don't really want to get into this but a) I think it could have been done secretly, coming south in stages at night etc. b) I doubt if any of the minions of the dark lord had eyesight as good as Legolas'. Besides I'm only really thinking of the journey between say Rauros and Orodruin.