Finally got over my anxieties of Baldy

This was the one I was least looking forward to after hearing how sketchy Devil’s Backbone could be and deaths of hikers during the winter. So I enlisted the help of an experienced hiker who took me up Ski Hut route – felt good until we reached the section after the saddle beyond the ski hut. We inadvertently came around the side of the ridge and did a little bit scrambling to get up – a little harrowing but nothing too dangerous. The rest of the hike was ok after that, and even the DBB felt much less crazy than I expected it to be. Just went down the first descent slow and steady and thankfully had poles. Weather was almost perfect too – hardly any wind which made the backbone much less scary.