August1999
hancesare goodthere’sacalendaron
yourwall or a puzzle in your closet pictur-
ing gorgeous balloons skimming over the
waterduringa morningrally. That rally
wasprobablyin Colorado.
Balloonists for decades have
takenadvantage of the lush val-
leys, gentle winds and open plains
of Coloradofor some spectacu-
lar flying as well aspicture tak-
ingaround the Rockies.
“Coloradoflyingissuper,
especially the mountain flying,”
says NancyGriffin, a pilot from
FortCollinsandeditorofthe
Colorado BalloonClub’s news-
letter. “But it’s morechallenging
insomerespects.Earlyinthe
morning there’s like a layer cake
of air that moves back and forth.
You can usually stay in a valley,
but if yougetblown out, you’re
introuble.”
Eveningflightsarerarein
Colorado.Thermalsandwinds
don’t typically die off until after
dark.Manyofthestate’sesti-
mated 175 active balloonists live
aroundDenver, but they usually
avoid cityflying. Instead, many
optforChatfieldReservoir,a
state park 15 miles west of town
on the foothillsof the Rockies.
“It’s calm there andthere’s
lotsofaccess,”saidSh irley
McLain,aballoonistwhomostlycrews
forherhusband,Russ.There’sadedi-
cated site for the balloons to drive in and
inflate.
The park is so large, balloons usually
end up there as well. Yearly passes to the
parkare$30ayear.Onanyweekend
morning, a dozenor soballoons will use
the park, aswellas numerous campers.
Coloradopilotsalsoenjoythehigh
plains,particularlyarou ndCo lorad o
Springs, where pilots can spend the entire
a powerline.
About a dozen balloonists each win-
terattempttoflyovertheContinental
Divide,fromBreckenridgetothefront
range east of the mountains.
Del Norte, in southern Colorado was
once a busy place forballooning. Home to
the Balloon Ranch, pilots could get train-
ing and tourists could ride or go parachut-
ing from a balloon. David Levin operated
the ranch from 1976 until 1982, when it
becamemainly abed and breakfast. Levin,
now of Boulder, is a former national and
world hot-air and gas balloon champion.
Living in Colorado can be frustrating for
someone so competitive because no sanc-
tioned events are held there.
“Even if there were sanctioned events
in Colorado, I probably still would not fly
inthem,” he said. “Our weather tendsto
beeitherverywindyorlightandvari-
able.”
Levin feels he became a bet-
terpilotbytravelingtoother
places and flying competitively.
But there are plentyof rea-
sonstogoballooninginColo-
rado, even if sanctioned flying is
non-existent there.
One of the most well-known
commercialoperationsinthe
countryisUnicornBalloonCo.
RandyWoodsstartedthebusi-
nessasasidelinetohisbook-
store inAspen in1981, starting
with one AX-7 balloon. He sold
the business, andsixAX-10s, a
decade later.
“FlyinginAspenposeda
veryin terestingsetofchal-
lenges,” he said. If you fly out of
thevalleyandintotheWhite
RiverNational Forest, “you could
land safely,but you’d need to use
ahelicoptertoget yourballoon
out.”
Ground level there is 8,000
feet.
Aspenmornin gsusu all y
dawn flyable, witha predictable
drainage windto carryballoons
downRoaringForkValleyto
SnowmassVillage,aboutsevenmiles
away. “Thenyoulandinthe morerural
areas wherethevalleys widen out,” Woods
said.
Woods, now living in St. Louis, said
Aspenhas“complexlandownersitua-
tions.” Any home large enough to land a
balloon would cost at least $3 million, he
said. He’slandedonthelawnof Goldie
HawnandflownoverPlayboyBunny
BarbieBenton’s place. No word ifshe had
skylights.
August1999
Balloon Society of Pikes Peak, P.O. Box 814, Colorado Springs, CO 80901. Dues are $15, or $20 for families, includes
monthlynewsletter. Contact: P.O. Box 814, Colorado Springs, CO 80901.
Colorado Balloon Club, P.O. Box 151276,Lakewood, CO 80215. Dues are $25;or $35for families andinclude a
monthly newsletter. Contact: P.O. Box 151276, Lakewood, CO 80215.
Kinetic Sculpture Challenge, in Boulder, 25 balloons fly the first Saturday dawn in May. Contact: Jim Isler, 3815 N.
Bayou Hills Road, Parker, CO 80134.
Crested Butte AerialWeekend, first weekendin August,15 balloonsflySaturdayandSundaymornings.Contact:
Chamber of Commerce,P.O. Box1288, CrestedButte, 81224. 1-800-545-4505. www.crestedbuttechamber.com
Snowdown,inDurango,20balloons,typicallythe firstweekendinFebruary,inconjunction withcity-widewinter
festivalfeaturing ski races and other events. Pilots included ina Friday night parade, with flights Saturday and Sunday
mornings and a glow Saturday night. Contact: MichaelWhiteney, 484 Turner Drive, Suite F-104, Durango 81301. 970-
385-7946. www.Snowdown.org
Erie Town Fair, second weekend in May, 30 balloons in conjunction with the Erie Town Fair, about 15 minutes north
of Denver. Two weekend morningflights with fun competition, Saturday evening glow. Contact: Dennis Mintling, P.O.
Box403, Erie,CO 80516. 303-828-3667.
Snowmass Balloon Festival, third weekend in June, 45 balloons; dawn flights Friday through Sunday in non-sanctioned
competition,mooninflation Saturday evening. Contact:LeeAnn Reed, P.O. Box5566, SnowmassVillage, CO 81615.
970-923-2000.
Lighter Than Aire Balloon Affaire, Fourth of July Weekend in Montrose, 30+ balloons, Friday and Saturday morning
non-sanctioned flights, evening glows. Contact: Jim Isler, 3815 N. Bayou Hills Road, Parker, CO 80134. 303-805-1784.
Steamboat Springs Hot Air Balloon Rodeo, third weekend in July, 50+ balloons. Weekend morning flights with non-
sanctioned competition, Saturday evening Balloon Shine. As part of Rainbow Weekend, with rodeo and artisans. Contact:
ChamberofCommerce:P.O.Box774408,SteamboatSprings,CO80477.970-879-0882. www.info@steamboat-
chamber.com
ColoradoSpringsBalloonClassic,Labor DayWeekend,115balloonsflythree morningflightsandfeature two
eveningglows;some paidrides. Contact: Patsy Buchwald, executive director, 328 BonfoyAve., Colorado Springs, CO
80909. 719-471-4833. www.balloonclassic.com
Greeley Hot-Air Balloon Harvest, fourth weekend in October, 30 balloons. Two mornings flights in non-sanctioned
competition, Saturday evening glow. DanHelmboldt, 314420th Ave. Court, Greeley, CO 80631. 970-353-8626.
Arkansas ValleyBalloon Festival, first weekendinNovember, 20 balloons in Rocky Ford; Funflights Saturday and
Sunday mornings. Contact: Kevin Lindahl, P.O. Box506, Rocky Ford, CO 81067. 719-254-3301.
Springs
Springs
August1999
“Lot’sof the ranches now have been
sold to personalities, corporate or other-
wise with expensive horses, so you don’t
want to disturbthem,”Woodssaid. “You
have to know where you are landing.”
Most of the passengers are tourists,
whocomeinthesummerandwinter.
Spring and autumn are off seasons.
One of the oldest rallies in Colorado
is held eachJune in Snowmass.Pilots
competein differentfuncompetitions
during each of the three morning flights.
On Friday, drainage winds from In-
dependence Pass allow ballooniststo fly
overtheRoaringForkRivertowards
GlenwoodSprings. Thefarthestpilotwho
stays in thevalley wins. OnSaturday,
pilotsattempt topop 15 weather balloons
strategicallyplaced in the flightarea. The
event, called “Dawn Quioxte,” arms pilots
with broomsticks with nails on the ends.
AndonSunday,pilotsattemptto
shoot tennis balls into targets: inner tubes
anchoredingolfcourseponds.Prizes
include trophies, crystal and champagne
glasses.
Attending pilots are required to have
at least 100 hours due to the close proxim-
ity to wilderness, balloonmeisterTim Cole
said.
A rallyhas been held in Steamboat
Springs every year since 1981, with more
than 50 balloons appearing.
Balloonists there, at nearly 7,000 feet
before takeoff, oftenenjoyboxwinds
becausetheyareinthemiddleofthe
Rockies, said pilot Marty Pearlman.Crews
stayincomplimentarycondosforthe
weekend.
Afewcommercialballoonistsare
based in Steamboat Springs and fly tour-
ists over the Yampa Valley. Rates range
from $90 for a half-hour ride to $170 an
hour, Pearlman said. Only morning flights
arescheduledduetotypicallystrong
breezesthroughsunset,hesaid.Some
pilots there schedule winter flights to take
advantage of the tourists coming to ski.
“Some months we only flyfour or
fivetimes,othermonthswe’llfly20
times,” Pearlmansaid.InDurango,re-
trievalshaveincludedsnowmobilesor
helicopters to get balloons out of moun-
tainous areas.
“We’vegotlotso fareaswithout
roads,” said pilot Michael Whitney.
But if the wind in blowing in better
directions, pilots fly over more forgiving
has been held in Colorado Springs each
Labor Day weekend for 23 years. Pilots—
some115 expected this year—are screened
and invited to fly Saturday, Sunday and
Mondaymorningsthere.Flightsbegin
from Memorial Park in the city and carry
balloonists out sometimes near the foot-
hills of Pikes Peak.
PatsyBuchwald,the rally’sexecu-
tivedirector,estimates250,000people
attended last year’s event. There’s no fee
for spectators to park or to attend.
“Weo fferfree,familyentertain-
ment,” she said. The $250,000 budget to
put the festival on is raised with sponsor-
ships, ranging from $100 to $50,000.
More moneyis made withconces-
sions, often managedby charity groups
raising money for their own causes.
Pilots,sponsorsandcrew attenda
receptionFridayevening.Mostofthe
flying is just for fun, but a few balloons
are selected to take paying passengers at
$165 per person. Two evening glows are
alsoscheduled.Withalltheflyingin
Colorado, it’s not surprising there are two
balloon clubs.
The 180members of the Colorado
BalloonClub—120pilotsand60crew
persons—hold monthly meetings on third
Thursdayofeachmonth.Topicshave
includedknottying,first-aidandplan-
ning a long jump.
“Th ere’sal way sso mek in dof
speaker,” Griffin said. “It’s always edu-
cation, with something for the crew and
the pilot.”
Andthere’salwaysplentyoftime
scheduled for socializing.
Formed in 1974, the club also holds
monthly flights (except in July andDe-
cember) at various locations, with a dif-
ferent balloonmeister each month. Up to a
dozen balloons show up.
The club used to organize an annual
seminar, but now plans to alternate with
the Balloon Society of Pikes Peak, based
in Colorado Springs.
Working together is nothing new for
thetwoclubs.Theirmembershavea
tradition of flying each Father’s Day to-
gether. About 50 balloonists show up and
the clubs alternate each year to cook the
other club breakfast.
The Pikes Peak club, with about 115
members,alsoholds monthlymeetings
and schedules monthly flights.
