BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 19, 2023
On the steep eastern side of Mansell Mountain is an impressive talus slope, a jumble of angular granite rocks baking under the sun. Adorned with faint blooms of white and green lichen, the rocks vary greatly in size and shape. Some of the hunks of granite are no larger than a book, while others are true boulders, exceeding the height of the hikers who labor past. It would be a tricky area to traverse if not for the stone staircase that strikes right through its center. Such is the magic of Acadia National Park. The trail, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933, is steep and fantastical, its many steps forming a clear path through the wilderness. Yet it almost seems a part of the landscape.