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The Top 10 Viewfinder Stories of 2024

These 10 articles — and a bonus editor's pick — were crowd favorites over the past year.

by Lynn Freehill-Maye
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Another year, another 50-plus stories that helped readers appreciate the longtime, ongoing beauty and power of the Hudson Valley. It’s always fun to look back on social media and web traffic to see which stories resonated with readers most. In 2024, the biggies included doable climate solutions, from shopping at the valley’s growing number of “refill” stores to installing heat pumps. Hudson Valley history is always a hit — stories about skiing on Mt. Beacon and climbing in the Shawangunks were big comment-getters. Inspiration to get out there and have fun — whether by getting in on the camping trend or volunteering for a hot-air balloon crew — was popular. And delving deeper into plants and animals, from the lowdown on keeping backyard chickens to plantings that support pollinators, got their share of love. Scroll on for more of residents’ and visitors’ fave stories of the year.

Mt. Beacon’s Brief Run of Skiing Glory

In between its earlier iteration as an incline railway and its current one as a public park, Mt. Beacon spent some snowier decades as a ski hill. (Photo: Courtesy the Beacon Historical Society)

During the past couple centuries, the Hudson Valley has hosted a big range of camps, amusement parks, retreat centers, recreational activities, and beyond. The climate has warmed during the past few decades, and snow is scarcer in the lower to mid-valley, so most skiing now happens in the Catskills and farther north. But back in the ’60s and ’70s, what is now Scenic Hudson’s Mt. Beacon Park hosted downhill skiing, complete with a well-regarded ski school. History stories are usually big hits, and social media users had fun sharing memories of the 1,610-foot peak’s brief run of glory.

How to Better Attract and Support Butterflies

Spicebush swallowtail. (Photo: Frank Beres)

Who doesn’t love light, bright, graceful butterflies floating by? And sure, you can plant milkweed to attract them. But it turns out supporting pollinators like these goes beyond any plants you might grow in the spring and summer. Experts like Scenic Hudson’s Dan Smith shared how moves you make over the fall and winter — like leaving piles of leaves and not chopping your flower beds to the ground — help support pollinators who tend to lay eggs in those kinds of places. Gardeners and other butterfly-lovers were clearly fascinated by the tips, sharing the story widely.

What’s Behind the Big Rise in Camping?

Camping has been broadening its appeal, both nationally and regionally, leading to a boomlet in which nearly seven in 10 U.S. households now identify as campers, up from 58% in 2014. (Photo: Courtesy Boheme Retreats)

An astonishing seven in 10 U.S. householders now identify as campers. Why is everybody all about roughing it overnight outside these days? Joni Sweet, a Saugerties native who often writes about travel, dove into what’s behind the trend. Glamping options have played a role, she found, as have easier ways to book, like Tentrr and Hipcamp. And camping has opened up to increasingly diverse groups of people, allowing more people to see themselves staying outdoors — and in stories like this one.

How to Get In On The Refillability Game

The world produces 400 million tons of plastic annually; refilling reusable containers instead of using disposable ones can help reduce waste. (Photo: Samantha Smith-Coleman)

Between its impacts on the environment and on human health (as more studies on micro- and nanoplastics are showing), plastic is a growing problem. Cutting plastic packaging by just 10-20% could slice the amount of plastic waste going into oceans each year in half. New “refill” stores in Kingston, New Paltz, Beacon, Cold Spring, and nearly every other valley town are here to help. Catskills-based contributor Dalvin Aboagye demystified this new-yet-old-fashioned retail category in this highly viewed story. He empowered readers with the easiest ways to get started, like bringing old containers to refill with soap, or buying just rice and beans in bulk.

Chasing the Rainbow: Skies Open Up to Hot Air Balloon (Volunteer) Crews

A passenger’s family watches in awe as the hot-air balloon floats into the sky. (Photo: Nick Briñas)

Going up in a hot-air balloon is a distant bucket-list dream for many. But what if you could get up close and personal with one of those soaring vehicles sooner rather than later? Many balloon pilots at events like the Hudson Valley Hot-Air Balloon Festival look for local crews to help their globes soar. Scenic Hudson’s Jo-Anne Asuncion offered an inspiring, much-shared first-person account of everything it takes to get a balloon in the air above this scenic valley, right down to the post-flight champagne.

Getting More Land Back in Black Farmers’ Hands

Liberated Lands founder Isa Jamira. (Photo: Courtesy Isa Jamira)

Nationally, the proportion of Black farmers has gone from 14% about a century ago to just 1% today. Hudson Valley projects, farms, and initiatives are rising up to change that. The Afro-Indigenous nonprofit Soul Fire Farm and Karen Washington’s Rise & Root Farm have been regional mainstays. Now Isa Jamira and a new generation of leaders are founding their own farms, like Liberated Lands in Narrowsburg, and initiatives like the Land in Black Hands initiative in Kingston are working to increase access. This story, first shared around Juneteenth, lifted up the collective efforts as they continue to grow.

The Legendary History of Rock Climbing in the Shawangunks

The Shawangunk Ridge overlooking New Paltz hosts some of the world’s best rock climbing. (Photo: Chris Vultaggio)

The Shawangunk Ridge that glimmered behind New Paltz looked to German climber Fritz Wiessner almost a century ago like an invitation, calling him to ascend the rock face. Since then, the Gunks have hosted some of the wildest climbers in the world, from the ’70s-era “Vulgarians” who partied hard and climbed in the buff to the adventurous urban teens recently featured in New York Magazine for pioneering new routes. Reliving the history took everyone for a fun ride (with stunning photos to show for it).

The Lowdown on Keeping Backyard Chickens

Backyard chickens can evoke a back-to-the-land kind of life … but they can also be a lot of work to keep. (Photo: Heather Gibbons / Hawthorne Valley Farm)

The Hudson Valley often inspires visions of a simpler, more down-to-earth life … one that might just involve raising backyard egg-layers! From Australorp to Silkie, Rhode Island Red to Appenzeller Spitzahauben, the breeds raised by backyard coop-keepers seem almost endless. Would you prefer a type that’s known for ample laying, or a breed that’s known to be friendly? And are you prepared for the day-to-day ins and outs of keeping chickens? Naturally, a valley-focused primer on everything to consider to before purchasing poultry was a major hit.

How the Valley’s Seasons and Gardens Inspire Pattern Designer Jen Hewett

In studio with Hudson-based artist and surface pattern designer Jen Hewett. (Photo: Courtesy Jen Hewett)

You may have seen her work at major stores like World Market and Anthropologie. Surface pattern designer Jen Hewett relocated not long ago from California to Hudson. As she moved, her inspiration shifted, too — she now takes ideas from the seasons and gardens of the Hudson Valley. Hewett has a huge following, and her both fans and Viewfinder‘s faithful showed up in big numbers to appreciate this look into her bright studio and creative process.

Do Heat Pumps Make Sense for the Valley’s Cold Winters and Hot Summers?

Having proven themselves in colder climates, such as in Scandinavia, heat pumps stand up to Hudson Valley winters, regional experts and owners say. (Illustration: Adobe Firefly)

When valley-based journalist Arvind Dilawar was warned by a furnace repairman that installing heat pumps in this climate would be a mistake, he got worried — and then did his research. Could this newer technology stand up to the valley’s cold winters and hot summers to heat and cool his home as needed? Dilawar dug into the pump’s mechanics, and its success rates in places like Scandinavia, to break it all down. He confirmed that heat pumps are ideal for the Hudson Valley in this well-received post.

Editors’ Pick: Appreciating the Indigenous Roots of Kayaking

A traditional Inuit kayak at a fjord in Greenland. (Photo: Clive Tully / Alamy)

Kayaking can seem like a slick modern sport, all carbon fiber and neoprone. But its roots are actually Inuit — and impressive. Many readers were fascinated to dig into kayaking’s history with paddling-access advocate Chevaughn Dixon, who first explored it at the Hudson River Greenland Festival. Dixon learned from Greenlanders themselves about the 35 different techniques involved in traditional Inuit kayaking, or qajaqing (including amazing “storm rolls” that are practiced in high winds and choppy Arctic waters) — and he proudly offered up that history and ongoing practice to valley readers.

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