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.

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