  The gem of the Adirondacks  January 30, 2009 By Bob
Seidenstein,   A sudden thought came to me: In person, the Alps
looked as beautiful as they did in all the fabulous photographs
of them.  And that was followed by another thought, namely that
the Adirondacks look as beautiful as their finest photos of
them, too.  And of the two, I prefer the Adirondacks.  Sure, the
Alps are much bigger, but I think that only matters if you're a
size queen.  The Alps are also far more famous than the
Adirondacks. But is it an advantage if every jamoke on God's
green earth knows who you are? In my book, there's a whole lot
to be said for anonymity.  Plus, from a strictly selfish
perspective, the Adirondacks have something the Alps'll never
have - their location in my home region.  And beyond all that,
my favorite mountain in the world is here in my backyard. And in
case you haven't guessed, that mountain is Mount Baker.  Why is
it my favorite mountain? Good question; now read on.   Why Baker
is better  First, consider its lo