Plot sketches after Moria

I think my favorite part of Christopher Tolkien's  painstaking historical account of his fathers writing of The Lord of the Rings are the plot sketches. It's really cool to see J.R.R. Tolkien's preliminary thoughts on where the story is heading. Some of those thoughts never come to be, others provide the germ of what will be, and still others are pretty much spot-on from the first time pen/pencil hit the paper. After finishing the Moria chapter and before writing the Lothlórien chapter (Christopher Tolkien argued his father had much of this next chapter in his mind and therefore only included cursory notes in the sketch) Tolkien sat down an began to outline where his story was heading and clearly it was becoming much bigger than the simple Hobbit sequel he was tasked to write years before. I will bullet point what most stands out to me:

• The company (sans Gandalf) reaches Lothlórien and take refuge in the trees
• Frodo decides going to Minis Tirith will not aid him and not all the company would be receptive to that idea: "Boromir is secretly planning to use the Ring, since Gandalf is gone" (p. 207, The Treason of Isengard). 
• Boromir tries to take the Ring; the aftermath is as follows: 
• Frodo puts on the Ring and disappears; it's noted that this use of the Ring reestablished It's power over Frodo
• Sam is lost
• Aragorn is grieved for failing Gandalf
• Merry & Pippin are distracted and wander far away
• Gimli & Legolas perceive the fellowship is broken and go North together
• Sam eventually tracks Gollum who leads him to Frodo
• Sam & Frodo's journey is sketched to Mount Doom
• Capture of Gollum who feigns reform and betrays them
• The Dead Marshes
• Frodo cannot willingly part with it at the end
• "Function for Sam? Is he to die?" (p. 209, The Treason of Isengard). 
• Tolkien quickly decided Frodo should be caught be Orcs and Sam gains the Ring--but how? 
• "A spider charm? or does Gollum get spider's help?"(p. 209. The Treason of Isengard).
• Sam uses the Ring to save Frodo and later it is Sam who wrestles Gollum and throws him into the fire
• Questions of how Frodo & Sam are to be rescued. 
• "Frodo standing on the side of Fire Mountain holds up a sword. He now commands Ringwraiths an bids them be gone" (p. 210, The Treason of Isengard). 
• Ideas for the rest of the company who should be checked in on.
• Merry & Pippin meet Treebeard (who turns out to be a good giant)
• "Legolas and Gimli also get lost and get captured by Saruman?" (p. 210, The Treason of Isengard). This idea was quickly rejected
• Boromir (who has noticeably changed) and Aragorn go to Minis Tirith and save the besieged city though the Lord is slain and the people choose Aragorn.
• "Boromir deserts and sneaks off to Saruman, to get his help in becoming Lord of Minis Tirith" (p. 210, The Treason of Isengard). 
• "How does Gandalf reappear?" (p. 210, The Treason of Isengard). 
• Turns out in Legolas & Gimli's travels (sans capture by Saruman) they encounter the risen Gandalf; interesting piece of the now White Wizards tale: "Clad himself in Mithril-mail and fought his way out slaying many trolls" (p. 211, The Treason of Isengard). 
• Siege of Minis Tirith is now broken by Gimli, Legolas, Gandalf, and Treebeard. Boromir still runs away to Saruman who shuts himself in Isengard. 
• An idle notion that if one hobbit dies it must be Pippin--the cowardly one who dies in a final act of bravery.
• And then some final chapter ideas after the Ring is destroyed:
• After feasting thoughts turn to Boromir: his repentance is rejected and appears that Aragorn was to slay the traitor (in battle? in execution? We don't know). 
• Gandalf dismisses Saruman and Isengard is given to the Dwarves or Radagast perhaps. 
• "Song of the Banished Shadow" (p. 212. The Treason of Isengard).  Something tells me this chapter would have included some cool Tolkien verses
• "Last scene. Sailing away of Elves [added faintly: Bilbo with them]" (p. 212, The Treason of Isengard). 

As you can see: some ideas that never came to be (Sam's death), some that are the genesis of the published story (Merry & Pippin meeting Treebeard), and some pretty close from the start (Gollum betraying Frodo with the help of Spiders). Perhaps most interesting is now the increased presence of Saruman and Isengard. Gandalf revealed at the Council of Elrond he was betrayed by the fellow Wizard and we see Tolkien beginning to flesh out what that means exactly for the denizens of Middle-earth.