Accessible dock designed for users of all ages and abilities debuts in Adirondack community
By David Escobar
On a calm July morning, about a dozen women stood at the edge of Northville Lake, dragging their kayaks down a gravel path and lining up at the top of a metal gangway. One by one, they eased their boats onto a chute — a kind of kayak conveyor belt — and slid them toward the water.
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From the dock, Donna Frederick of Day, New York, watched as her fellow paddlers descended the 20-foot ramp. She was among the first to test out Northville’s new accessible kayak launch, a structure designed to make paddling safer and easier for people of all ages and abilities. Installed in September 2024, the launch is one of the first of its kind in the Adirondack Park.
A regional first in accessibility
The project was spearheaded by the Northville Rotary Foundation, which raised roughly $60,000 to donate the launch to the village. “It was such a generous offer, and we’re so grateful,” said Northville Mayor Sue Ecker.
The idea for the launch originated with Naomi Darling Parker, a Rotary member and longtime paddler with the group known as the Ladies of the Lake. She said the need for a safer launch became clear after a friend was injured trying to descend the previous access point: a steep, unpaved embankment.
“It’s important for anybody who would like to use the lake to be able to use the lake,” said Darling Parker. “Not just somebody in a wheelchair — people in their 80s still need to be able to be active in order to age gracefully and with health. We need to stay active, and this keeps us safe.”
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The new dock includes a sloped metal walkway and a glide chute, where paddlers can slide their boats down to a floating platform submerged a few inches below the water’s surface. To enter their boats, some paddlers use nylon straps suspended from an overhead support bar, which helps them lower themselves into their seats with greater stability.
Paddling in community
On the lake that morning, Sandy Peters gripped the straps and carefully eased herself into her light blue kayak. Peters, a retired paralegal from Gloversville, said the new launch made it easier for her to keep paddling and stay in shape.
“Those shoulders that were kind of starting to bother me at the end of the winter — when I go out kayaking, they just open right up,” she said. “They just feel so much better.”
Once settled into her kayak, Peters tugged the handrails on each side of the launch area to scoot her boat out onto the open water, letting out a joyous laugh.
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“It’s just fun to do because it’s not that challenging to balance,” said Frederick. “You don’t have to worry about falling out of the boat.”
The group paddled along the shoreline in a quiet flotilla, pausing at times to chat and admire patches of blooming water lilies. At the turnaround spot, Linda Brown paused to appreciate a sea of water lilies in full bloom. She began paddling with the Ladies of the Lake shortly after moving to Broadalbin in 2015. She said the group offered a sense of community and an easy way to stay active.
“We are aging, and hopefully aging gracefully and with fun,” Brown said. “But as we get older, it is harder. The best thing about this group is we all help each other.”
After about an hour on the water, the group returned to the dock. One by one, they guided their boats back onto the platform, disembarked and began packing up for the day, which marked the Ladies of the Lake’s first official paddle of the 2025 season.
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From the shoreline, Darling Parker stood watching, smiling as each paddler safely came ashore.
“Just because you’re handicapped or less able doesn’t mean you shouldn’t enjoy nature,” she said. “Everybody should have access to it. So we need to make accommodations where we can, as much as we can.”
For Darling Parker, that vision began with a single dock in her small Adirondack community, with a group of women determined to keep paddling.
David Escobar is a Report For America Corps Member. He reports on diversity issues in the Adirondacks through a partnership between North Country Public Radio and Adirondack Explorer.
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