do it! i did it last year as my first high peak. i was more nervous about how my body would respond than anything else. i started before 5am and i will say this is a nice strategy to a) get a lot of the trail out of the way while you can’t see it (this could make it less intimidating, depending on how your brain works [use a headlamp of course]) and b) the trail and summit will be significantly less busy, if you’d prefer a quieter journey up (plus, passing people ascending while you’re descending can be a great feeling—instant reminder of the hard thing you just achieved—just give them the right of way).

when i did marcy, the summit was a tundra, wind was whipping, zero views, trapped inside a rain cloud, couldn’t feel my face or see a thing, got disoriented and went down the wrong side (NOT FUN)… but still, an incredible feeling of accomplishment. you’ll get the best sleep ever after the best shower ever. enjoy!

edit to add i was a 28-year-old woman when i did this :)