I would not recommend the Fern Ledge Trail alone. You just don't know when anyone else will be coming by and there are a few loose sections and you just never know. I'm sorry that we'll be away on vacation those dates, because otherwise I would just head up there with you. It should be nice (assuming it doesn't snow between now and then, which I think is unlikely at that altitude).
I'm not into telling people what to do (as long as it does not lead to nasty environmental impacts that affect others). So do what you must. That said, having company is always a good idea would make it a safer outing for sure. Obviously, it depends on your skill and risk tolerance. I've soloed some fairly technical mountaineering routes and was comfortable with the risk. After Theresa's 2006 accident though, we're a lot less into hiking alone, I must say. She's fine, but I think there's a 100% chance she would be dead if she had been alone, and we were only 15 minutes off the Valley floor.
That said, John Muir hiked it alone by moonlight on lots of occasions. Of course, he came a hair's breadth from dying on at least one of those occasions, so...
I would not recommend the Fern Ledge Trail alone.
I would not recommend the Fern Ledge Trail alone. You just don't know when anyone else will be coming by and there are a few loose sections and you just never know. I'm sorry that we'll be away on vacation those dates, because otherwise I would just head up there with you. It should be nice (assuming it doesn't snow between now and then, which I think is unlikely at that altitude).
I'm not into telling people what to do (as long as it does not lead to nasty environmental impacts that affect others). So do what you must. That said, having company is always a good idea would make it a safer outing for sure. Obviously, it depends on your skill and risk tolerance. I've soloed some fairly technical mountaineering routes and was comfortable with the risk. After Theresa's 2006 accident though, we're a lot less into hiking alone, I must say. She's fine, but I think there's a 100% chance she would be dead if she had been alone, and we were only 15 minutes off the Valley floor.
That said, John Muir hiked it alone by moonlight on lots of occasions. Of course, he came a hair's breadth from dying on at least one of those occasions, so...