To the west of Acadia and St. Sauveur Mountains, across the valley near Echo Lake, Beech Mountain stands tall.
The sheer cliffs of Beech Mountain as seen from St. Sauveur Mountain.
Cairns, stacks of rocks, mark some areas of the trail up the mountain. The trails varied from narrow paths through heavily wooded forests to open areas across bare rock.
It is interesting how the glaciers left large boulders sitting alone on top of rock plateaus. There is a geological term for these oddly placed rocks - a glacial erratic boulder.
A blue trail blaze painted on a tree trunk indicates the location of the trail, although at this point it is easy to see the appropriate path.
The trails sometimes ran along the edge of the cliff, a bit precarious, but providing spectacular views.
Looking down on Echo Lake, with the north end of Somes Sound in the background.
Blueberries were growing at the top of Beech Mountain. Wild Maine blueberries are very flavorful and are delicious in muffins.
Of course, the blueberry bushes preferred growing along the open areas near the cliffs. This spot is the top edge of the cliff in the first photo of this post. It is easy to become focused on the task at handpicking the blueberries - and miss the closeness of the edge.
