LOCALadk Magazine

Spring 2017 LOCALadk Magazine 59 LOCALadk When Noah Lourie Mosher first came to John Dillon Park in Long Lake, it was the summer of 2015 and he was using a wheelchair. Just a year later, he returned to the campground with his family and was navigating the trails upright with the use of two canes. Noah, 26, of Middletown, Connecticut, was seriously injured in a rock-climbing accident in 2013 in Italy. "Even with the canes, he still needs accessible trails to walk," said Noah's father, Eric Mosher. That means trails that are clear of stones and tree roots – and that's exactly what they found at John Dillon Park, the rustic-style Adirondack camp that was designed following the Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines. John Dillon Park, which opened in 2006, is fully accessible. It has elevated platforms in the lean-tos to make it easier for people using wheelchairs, walkers, or canes to transfer in and out of bed. The fine-crushed stone and boardwalks built along the trails allow people to use motorized scooters, wheelchairs, walkers, or canes, and can be used by those with visual impair- ments as well, said Stephen Ellis, park manager and instructor at Paul Smith's College. The majority of the trails are less than a 6 percent grade, with the steepest being an 8 percent grade over a short section (an average wheelchair ramp is built at a 10 percent grade, Stephen said). The campground's wheel- chair-accessible outhouses (low-impact latrines with compost- ing toilets) were a convenience as well, said Noah. A conservation easement to create the park was donated by International Paper, and the camp was named after retired In- ternational Paper CEO and Paul Smith's College alumnus John Dillon ('58). The camp is managed by Paul Smith's College. John Dillon had envisioned a campground in the Adirondacks that could be accessed by everyone, Stephen explained. Most lean-tos were built in pairs on the same camp sites to accom- modate families and other visitors. Each site also has a picnic table, a fireplace, and a food locker. "The goal is to let every- one enjoy the beauty of the region," said Stephen. While there is no electricity at the camp sites, the facility does offer portable battery carts that can be taken to the sites to recharge wheelchairs and other medical equipment. The camp uses solar power for its Welcome Center. Paul Smith's College offers programs in forestry, natural re- sources, hospitality and culinary arts, entrepreneurship, and the sciences, so the management of John Dillon Park was a perfect fit for the college and its students, Stephen said. "It's been a great facility for us to manage."As part of his recov- ery, Noah has been finding ways to experience the things he loved the most before his accident – such as spending time outdoors. That was made possible in the Adirondacks because of the John Dillon Park, his father said. Angie Lupe is an Iraq war veteran from the Albany area who wanted to find a way to enjoy the beauty and tranquility of the Adirondacks. Angie is partially paralyzed and uses a motorized wheelchair. For Angie, being active has been a top priority since returning from Iraq several years ago, after her Army Reserve base was the target of a mortar attack. She is a member of Team Albany Adaptive Sports, and earned several medals in the annual Na- tional Veterans Wheelchair Games in Salt Lake City this past July. But she also loves everything the wilderness has to offer, and since 2008, Angie and her wife, Dorothy, have been camping at John Dillon Park. "We love nature," said Angie. "This is the best place for us to spend our vacation." After returning home from Iraq, she was diagnosed with a Traumatic Brain Injury and began to experience memory loss. Angie was subsequently diagnosed with PLS (Primary Lateral Sclerosis), a progressive neurological disease that affects the body over years. As a result, she has gradually lost the use of her legs.

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