Community spirit shines as Mountain Lake Services volunteers enhance Mt. Gilligan trail

Agency that serves people with disabilities embodies half a century of heartfelt volunteerism

By Tim Rowland

Not too strenuous a climb and not too far from the Northway, Mt. Gilligan outside of Elizabethtown was a likely target of April’s eclipse-chasers, and Elizabeth Mowery suspected the mountain’s trail might be in need of a little spit and polish. And she had just the crew to clean up, repair any divots and generally make sure the trail was ship shape for future hikers.

With Mowery, residential manager for Mountain Lake Services, were several colleagues and several of the agency’s clients. Mountain Lake — which today serves about 500 people in the North Country, was founded in 1967 by 15 North Country citizens concerned with the lack of support for people with disabilities. Through their efforts, the first group homes opened in 1974, along with Essex Industries, a woodworking factory that manufactures a variety of products from picnic tables to canoes.

“I love my job, I really do,” said Mike Harrison, a Mountain Lake client who is proud of his work for a logging concern, his volunteerism and is excited about an upcoming salmon fishing trip to Lake Ontario.

Celebrating 50 years of community service

The crew’s trail work on a Friday morning was not out of the ordinary, but it was special because Mountain Lake Services, a North Country chapter of The Arc New York, is celebrating its 50th anniversary, as The Arc itself is celebrating its 75th.

Early on in Mountain Lake’s existence, community involvement became an important part of the program, a mission that benefited both the community and the people Mountain Lake served.

Mountain Lake’s David Donohue, in a recap of community service, wrote, “There is a long history of the individuals at Mountain Lake Services, not only interacting with their communities but being a positive force of assistance and support. By the late 1990s and continuing through to today, helping out in our communities has been a large part of both our day programs and our residences.” 

Volunteering began with informally helping out here and there, but became more structured by helping deliver Meals on Wheels — which they still do in Schroon Lake — and interacting with seniors, playing board games and checking on their well-being.

Mountain Lake began putting out word in communities that it had an eager cadre of volunteers, and opportunities began to multiply, from cleaning  to passing out water during marathons to helping with kids’ games and portraying Santa.

This public service was extended to community events in the early 2000s, and so much was their help depended upon that Mountain Lake volunteer leaders were invited to sit in on town of Moriah’s Chamber of Commerce meetings.

Sharing a love of the outdoors

A favorite activity is to make walking sticks that are left at trailheads for hikers, said Elizabeth Rutkowski, Mountain Lake’s assistant director of community and staff relations. 

No one has to talk the crew into helping others. “They do this naturally all the time,” she said. “They’re always volunteering.”

If they had a complaint, it was that the Mt. Gilligan trail was too clean and too well-maintained. Wanting more action, they moved on to Split Rock Falls to clean up trail and parking-lot litter. The projects benefit the community, but also make friendships and give clients a sense of belonging and purpose.

“I’m ready for this,” said Harrison, as  he dragged some freshly fallen pine limbs away from the trail. “Today’s going to be my lucky day; I’m just loving life.”