My checklist? The backcountry. Neighbors. A bottle of wine.

It’s been a stellar couple of days in the Adirondacks. All the dire news out of Albany has been leavened by sun, snow and solitude.

On Thursday, we skied the great, twisting loop around John Brown’s farm, with Sara the dog pounding through deep powder.

Today, we climbed back in to Avalanche Lake, eating pastrami sandwiches under the big cliffs and watching chickadees snoop around for leftovers.

Snow conditions? Impeccable. Sun? Check.

I’m not saying the outdoors is an easy antidote to all that ails us. If you can’t pay the mortgage, it’s hard to enjoy a day on snowshoes.

But it is important to remind ourselves why we make the North Country home.

Cool neighbors, quiet, brittle-cold air, and the hiss of snow under your skies. That’s my checklist.

What’s on your list? What makes this place worth the struggle? Comments welcome below.