well i'm not really mountaineering, i live at the bottom of mt. baldy, and i'm ammassing the gear needed to summit the beast in the winter time. i've hiked in the snow and forwl weather for a few years in the sierras, and i've hiked and camped all over the midwest, rockies, sierras, and southern cali. i'm nervous tho, should i undertake this on my own? should i enlist the help of a local rei employee looking for a hiking partner? how serious is mt. baldy? i've read the stuff online about an editor for Backpacker Magazine and some harrowing tales of adventure, survival, and near death so i know what the mountain is capable. well, i take that back, i don't KNOW, i've heard and i believe what i've heard. but on a nice day, perfect conditions? i think i can do it, but aren't those fatal last words? i wish they had a "Fatal Last Words Dictionary" but they don't. should i just go for it? try to keep summit fever at bay and turn back if i have any bad feelings?
keep in mind, i've never had crampons on, i've never used an ice axe. i've never traveled across a glacier, not even once. what do y'all think i should do?