Ok, so first and foremost I would like to thank everyone that replied. All your advice made me the envy of the group when it came to hiking, eating, etc. I went on the trip this past weekend and I absolutely positively will be going back into the backcountry again! I have realized how much fun you can have by being exhausted and hungry. I made a few rookie mistakes but I lived and learned. Lessons learned:

1.) leave you backpack unzipped when you hang it on bear cables b/c the mice will eat a hole in your pack top get the food...now I have to patch it.

2.) Don't be so pre-occupied with scaring off a bear that comes into the campground that you don't get a good picture of it. I'm really kicking myself about this. It was so close and so big that I would loved to have gotten a picture.

3.) Pick your partners carefully

4.) Don't underestimate the temperature difference between 2500 ft and 5500 ft. I woke up at 4:30 am to 40 degree temps in my 40 degree bag...It was chilly but not unbearable.

5.) My left knee doesn't like going downhill.

6.) Goretex does not mean water proof.