^TM

Balloon flight provides a Rocky Mountain high

Flights feature fall colors, wildlife, champagne toasts

By Lisa Anderson Mann

Take the delicate hues of a Rocky Mountain sunrise creased with rugged, snow-capped peaks, a 150- foot tall brightly colored hot-air balloon and a liberal glass of the traditional champagne and you have an unforgettable experience.

Throw in the golden leaves and the silver-white bark of the fall-frosted aspen trees and the experience becomes magical.

One of the most romantic ways to explore the Colorado Rockies is by hot-air balloon and one of the beautiful times to visit is fall.

Floating silently in a balloon above the craggy terrain provides views usually accessible only after hours of arduous hiking. Wildlife viewing is terrific. Deer and elk are rarely aware of the balloon just a few feet above – but Canada geese honk in alarm when they realize that the craft will fly above them.

A hot-air balloon flight can be combined with the many other fall activities in the Rockies. Rates are down, crowds have dispersed, but residents say that fall is their favorite time of year in Colorado’s Rockies.

“In late September, the mountains are just gorgeous from here” said Fred Gorrell, the president of Unicorn Balloon Co., in Snowmass. Randy Woods, manager of the operation, agreed. “Every season has its charms,” he said. “I love the changing of the seasons.”

Little compares to the multicolored fall foilage of New England, but the golden aspen against the dark green pine is breathtaking nonetheless. The best time of the year to view Colorado’s fall foilage is during the last two weeks of September and the first week or two of October. “Fall is short here,” said Carolyn Bishop, a spokeswoman for Snowmass Village. “The first couple of inches of snow can bring the aspen leaves down. Of course, those few inches of snow are beautiful too.”

Balloon flights in Colorado can range from 20 minutes aloft over a ski resort, or several hours crossing the Continental Divide. Most carry a maximum of seven people and can be charted for any special occasion.

In general, fall ballooning begins at about 6:30 a.m., but most people arrive a few minutes early so they don’t miss the setup, which is a show itself. When a balloon envelope is full and upright, the passengers are invited to step into the basket. The balloon lifts gently from the ground, floating higher and higher above the mountains. Because the balloon travels with the wind, there is no sensation of movement, and no wind chill. The temperature in the basket is generally a few degrees higher than ground temperature.

“There are three reasons for that,” explained Unicorn Balloon’s Gorrell, “We are moving at the same rate as the wind, so there is no chill. Our feet certainly aren’t in the wet grass like those below us. And the envelope is heated to 180 degrees and some of that heat escapes.” But be sure to bring a jacket – the ground temperature in the mountains at 6:30 a.m. can be pretty chilly in late September.

A Unicorn Balloon flight lasts approximately an hour-an-a-half to two hours. Gorrell takes the balloon quite low for wildlife viewing – low enough to touch the underbrush – and quite high for an eagle’s-eye view of the entire valley and surrounding peaks.

The pilot’s navigational skill is all the more impressive since they have no ability to steer - the balloon fallows the air currents. It is up to the pilot to discover the air currents he needs to get to where he’s going.  “Flying a balloon is similar to sailing,” said Gorrell, “except you tack vertically – moving up and down to find the current.”

A chase vehicle – usually a passenger van with a trailer for the balloon and gondola – follows the balloons from the ground, making radio contact when visual contact is lost.

“Ballooning in the mountains is a little different from flatland ballooning,” Gorrell said. “We have to be more careful about landing sites. We don’t want to land on a peak. We land on or near the road. If I land too far from the road, I have to buy the crew breakfast – and those guys can eat.”  Croissants, flight certificates and replica pins are passed around. The champagne flows freely, and a traditional balloonist’s prayer is recited:

May the wind welcome you with softness,
May the sun bless you with his warm hands,
May you fly so high and so well,
God joins you in laughter,
And sets you gently back again,
Into the loving arms of Mother Earth.

“There is a moment in the sky where it’s quiet and you have a down-valley (air) current and it’s almost ecstasy,” said Lorna Daily operator of Aspen Balloon Adventures. “Real adventure is hard to find in our civilized world. I don’t know anyone who has not been altered after a flight in a balloon. There is some kind of magic and fancy to it.”

Back to TravelLady Magazine