I almost always hike alone and my mental checklist, before every hike, is what do I do if something goes terribly wrong.
The simple truth is that the other day was the first time in decades that I've put myself in a situation that could have ended badly. My zeal to experiment with winter hiking triumphed over my better sense to learn in a more controlled environment.
I guess, in the end, my instinct did prevail as I wanted to hike the entire mountain, as I've done scores of time before, but something kept me from going beyond 1/3 of the hike up.
A seven-degree temperature, coupled with a forecast for a foot of snow later that day, will dash any reasonable man's thought of conquest.
