the day of firsts

officially yesterday and today, but who wants to nitpick. no, not that first...but it was my first backcountry camping trip, my first time to snowshoe, to drive in a good bit of ice an snow, and probably some others that i might think of later

anyways, i went up to rocky mountain national park and stayed the night. officially it took forever, and a couple of things i learnt on this trip
1. snowshoes are good when backpacking seeing snow
2. a good sleeping bag is a camper's best friend
3. camping is best done in pairs (for companionship, sharing the load, bringing stuff you forgot,... and the obligatory safety issue)
3.b. if 3 is not an option, then there should be a push button on the tent for up and down
4. a good pair of socks and handy waterproof gloves are a nice commodity in winter trekking
5. bring the dishes
6. folks are nice on the trail
7. the creation truly is wonderful
8. hiking boots are not to be mistaken for snowboots (even if they are water repellent, possibly waterproof)
9. if any of the aforementioned are missplaced, abandoned, broken, forgot, or not even thought of...a nice warm shower and friendship can't come too soon.