by Stephen Blucher
Boxes...most balloon pilots have
heard about or flown a "box". The box is famous in Albuquerque,
and in the Snowmass, Colorado valley and probably in places this author
has never heard of. But...WYOMING??? A state infamous for clocking wind
speeds with logging chains? WYOMING??? Well, believe it readers, because
it happened at the 10th Annual Desert Balloon Extravaganza in Rock Springs,
and not just once, but three days during the event.
Twenty-eight balloons from Wyoming, Colorado, Texas, Arizona, Utah, Oregon and Idaho were able to make the go around...some twice. The locals have not seen such steerable winds in, perhaps forever. Usually pilots take off and go over there, or up that way, or perhaps over by the mesa...but not over there, that way, and back over here. So, for the 10th DBE, Mother Nature put on a special show.
Of course, when it came to the evening events...the glows...when most of the spectators come out...M.N. was at her worst. Friday evening, "Outlaw" started the festivities while the other pilots positioned but stayed trailered. The solo glow lasted about twenty minutes before "that storm going the other way" started throwing wind gusts. Outlaw was no sooner packed and under cover before the wind and the rain swept across the field. Saturday night's crowd was great due to the band playing for the 10th birthday party. Mother Nature, on the other...at least it was not raining.
Each year the DBE has a theme...remember Christmas in July a few years back? This year, what better than Happy Birthday? The pilots and crews had to be prepared to celebrate the event's 10th birthday. As usual some "different" celebrations were conjured up by the participants. A five foot birthday cake, whip cream pies, birthday suits and...well, all in all it was a great time.
