Winter Camping and Hiking up Mt. Marcy

Another thing I did that I did not think that I would do and that I didn't put on the list but which I suppose qualifies for the list:

I camped outside in January and hiked to the top of Mt Marcy - the highest peak in New York. This required snowshoes and down bags and GEAR. Serious capital G, capital EAR gear. As a result I now own waterproof pants, waterproof mittens, and for a short time I had my own goggles.

This trip was eventful, and I haven't entirely figured it out yet, but some of the facts are these:
We hiked about 20 miles all together to an elevation of 5,344 feet
It got down to -5 degrees, the views were incredible,
There was a ridiculous rain storm with winds of about 50 mph that took down trees ( and which prevented us from totally seeing the summit)
My boots did not fit and caused bruises all around my shins and blisters on the balls of my feet
And, at one point a fisher (the ferret's overgrown cousin) stole our breakfast of cheese, cookie dough, and grits.

Quite frankly I did not think that I would be able to deal with all that and a lot of the trip surprised me. For one thing, I was only cold for about 30 minutes the entire 3 days and when we were hiking I stripped down to just my base layer. Everything accomplished hikers tell you is true, you really do get hot. Also, I made it both up and back down that stupid mountain. For a woman of my physical prowess and outdoor caliber, that's no small thing.