Hot Air in Denver
The Rocky Mountain Balloon Festival started this morning. Dawn found dozens of hot air balloons strewn across the grass at Catchfield State Park just outside of Denver. I had awoken at the hitherto unknown hour of 4am to make the trek there and take some photos.
Dawn at the Rocky Mountain Balloon Festival
No soon than I arrived I met the very affable Scott Spencer who along with his wife Laurie have, perhaps, the coolest job in the world: hot air balloon pilots.
The Spencer were incredibly gracious, letting me take frames inside the balloon and in the basket. Scott also loaned me his 10mm fish-eye lens. I was starting to think he was pretty alright when the pièce de résistance came. Scott caught my eye and said “You want to go up”? Silly question!
Though just a tethered up and down it was fantastic…peacefully floating on air with the occasional burst of the burners for excitement.
Pilot Kevin Knapp fills his balloon.
A pilot readies his balloon as shot from the inside.
Balloon
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The DNC starts in 3 days and the protests and meetings start tomorrow. As exciting as all that will be I would trade it and a lot more for a long hot air balloon ride.
