…And The Balloons!

There’s not a lot that fires the imagination like hot air balloons, great bags of gas carrying adventurers skyward to who-knows-where, drifters on a canvas of sky, silent reminders of what is elegantly possible if we dare to dream.

I had the great pleasure of seeing a number of these stately beauties take form and take flight this past weekend and, thanks to the generosity of their owners, got an insider’s view of the goings-on.

The Green River Festival started 25 years ago as a gathering of a handful of hot-air balloonists with music added to entertain those who came to watch; now it’s a music festival of regional significance with a garnish of balloons.

But for those whose fancies take flight when the wind is just right, the balloons are still The Real Deal.

Here are some shots I got of the activities this past Saturday.

There is, of course, the group shot of balloons filling the sky:

..but what really interested me was the process  of getting those things up there.  It starts with the balloons spread out on the ground, with large fans filling them enough to make room for the flames of their engines.  The owners of a few were kind enough to let me get inside for a few shots:

The balloon fills and lifts ’till most of it is off the ground:

A different balloon, but I liked the geometry of that shot.

Eventually there’s enough room for the propane engines to do their thing (and that’s my cue to exit):

The whole works tilt upward with increasing urgency:

…’till it fills taught with the expectation of flight:

Then the paying passengers get on board for a memorable evening’s traverse of the valley, and they’re off:

…soaring above the festival and leeward bound!

Thanks to all of the pilots who let me horn in on their day in the sun, and to those who stuck around for the night-time illuminations:

And thanks to you all for sharing my weekend at the Green River Music and Balloon Festival!

(That’s their faithful mascot gracing the stage canopy at closing time.)