This was my first solo backpacking trip with my dog. It wasn't the best time of year to go but I was too excited to wait until the snow melted more. The plan was to reach a few lakes farther up, but the creek was too deep and swift to cross at the time. So we found the one spot not covered in snow to set up camp. It was so cold in the afternoon that I crawled inside my sleeping bag around 5 and didn't resurface until morning.