Mass Ascension is a Must See!

Sunday, 10/6, dawned clear with perfect weather for the balloonists. Dawn Patrol lifted off a little after 6am. Rog and I took chairs and our coffee and claimed a spot on an unused access road on the north side of the launch field. It gave us some elevation and a perfect view of all the action. What we missed in being up close and personal on the field, was more than made up for by being able to see wave after wave of huge, colorful balloons inflate and launch. Mass Ascension is not to be missed!! 

Dawn Patrol ascends.

You light up my life! Lol.

Mass Ascension in underway!

So pretty!

Directly overhead. 

Make of the symbolism what you will. Lol.

Still more going up!

Individually and en masse, the launch is fun to watch.

Our favorite Fractals again.

Big Dog in the air with lots of company!

The locally famous three Honey Bee balloons always launch together.
 They've been part of the Fiesta for decades.

The field is starting to clear, just a few more waiting to launch.

One of the reasons that Albuquerque is such an ideal location for the Balloon Fiesta is a wind pattern known as the Albuquerque Box. Essentially, air currents at higher elevations blow north and at lower elevations blow south. Typically, a hot air balloon ride is a one-way ticket. Chase vehicles track the balloon and when they descend, everything gets packed and trucked back to the starting point. The Albuquerque Box enables many lucky balloonists to start and end their flight right on the launch field! It also allows those adventurous souls to fly down the Rio Grande river channel and "dip and dash" - descend and touchdown on the river and then quickly ascend. They have to be quick or it could turn into a "dip and dunk". Lol.  

Dip and Dash in the Rio Grande.

Sunday was a perfect example of the box in action. The balloons rose from the field and then headed north over our RV lot (yay!) and then after a few miles they descended enough to catch the winds blowing south and returned, again right over our RV lot, and executed a perfect landing back on the launch field.

Watching the balloons catch the box and return to the launch field.

Coming down!

Lots more returning to the field.

One of my favorite shots.
Gorgeous colors and a beautiful day!

We spent all morning in awe. What an incredible sight, hundreds of beautiful balloons in the air at once. We did a whole lot of oooohhing and aaaahhing and look at that one over here and did you see that one over there. Lol. The specials were so much fun. Here is just a sample. What's your favorite???

Such a fantastic show! Balloonatic or not, this is definitely worth adding to your bucket list. I wish you were here to share the experience, because one thing I can promise you is that pictures just don’t do it justice. Regardless, you are going to be seeing a lot more of them! 😊

Opening Day - 2019 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta!

This year’s Balloon Fiesta runs from Saturday, 10/5, through Sunday, 10/13 – nine days of balloon nirvana. What started as a promotion for a local radio station in 1972 with just 13 balloons launching from a shopping mall parking lot and 10,000 spectators has, ah, grown a bit. The number of balloons peaked in 2000, with 1,019 participating! Since then event organizers have restricted the number to 600, citing growth in the city and the loss of landing zones. Even so – 600 balloons at one event is utterly amazing!! The crowds have grown too, last year attendance was over 800,000 and they are hoping to hit a million this year. It can feel like a million folks on the field jockeying for position for that perfect picture or in front of you in line waiting for a coffee and breakfast burrito or, more importantly, the bathrooms. Lol.

Through the gate before dawn.

The Fiesta has also moved to its own venue. The launch field is 80 acres with fair-like tents surrounding the field. You can get your fill of deep-fried anything and enough balloon-themed souvenirs to break the bank. Yes, we’ve done our fair share of contributing to the local economy. Lol.

See, we bought our own balloon. Lol.

Events vary by day and everything is weather dependent – as we soon found out. There is a morning session each day (6am-noon) and an evening session (5pm-8pm) on five of the nine days. Although the chainsaw carving exhibition and some vendors are open throughout the day. It’s an odd system, you pay for each session separately ($10 at the gate), but they don’t clear the field so you can come in the morning and just stay all day. On the flip side, I was infuriated to find there are no in/out privileges. So even though our coach is parked a stone’s throw from the gate *technically* if I leave to give Riley a potty break, I have to pay another $10 to get back in. You can imagine how well that went down. When I politely voiced my displeasure with their policy, the guy at the information booth said if we talked to the gate security staff they might let us leave and come back. We did and they were very accommodating – but really, you shouldn’t have to rely on the kindness of strangers when there a dozen ways to fix the policy. Hand stamp anyone? RV day pass? Oh, and just FYI, I did not see their “policy” anywhere in their literature or website. Grrrrrrr.  Rant ended. Back to the awesomeness.

Dawn Patrol  goes up in the dark.

Opening day began at 6am with Dawn Patrol. Since we didn’t want to miss anything we were up and through the gates by 5:30am. Another thing we now know, the listed time on any balloon activity is when they let the balloonists start unpacking/filling – not when they start launching. So we had lots of time to wander the field and get a close up view of the action. And that is one of the wonderful things about this event – you are not restricted to the sidelines. You are welcome, encouraged even, to be right out on the launch field. You can chat with the crews when they’re not busy, take pictures to your heart’s content, and generally just be in the thick of things. Awesome!!!!

For Dawn Patrol, a group of more experienced balloonists go up before dawn in balloons especially equipped for flying in the dark. These intrepid pilots are the daily guinea pigs. 😊 Other balloonists watch the Dawn Patrol to get an early idea of wind speeds and directions at different altitudes.

Dawn Patrol in the air and balloons for morning glow inflating.

Next on the schedule is Morning Glow beginning at 6:30am. A number of balloons are inflated and lit. The glow events are held mornings and evenings and are fun to watch.

Morning Glow.

The main event scheduled for 7am, the one that the Balloon Fiesta is best known for, is the Mass Ascension. During mass ascension, hundreds of balloons launch in waves.  As we walked the launch field we chatted with crew and listened to them talking, they were all eager to fly. Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating. An early morning fog was rolling in, obscuring some of the earlier launching dawn patrol.

All fired up!

Inflating, and then...

...ready and waiting.

And still waiting.

More balloons continue to set up.

Folks waited, balloons inflated and ready, for the official go-ahead. For awhile it looked like things might clear off, but eventually the decision was made to hold the launch. Disappointing, but tomorrow they’ll get another try. It was interesting to watch the process of deflating and packing up. With so many balloons and spectators crammed onto the field it’s a scene of controlled chaos. Lol.

Early morning fog is not looking good.

A few of the early risers are up, but then they put a hold on the launch.

A little bit of blue sky, but not enough. :(

Up, down, or halfway in between - the balloons are BIG!

Down they come....

Now about the balloons – they come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and every color of the rainbow! Some are obviously corporate sponsored; others are privately owned and operated. We really like the “specials”, figural balloons in the shape of animals or objects. I’ll be showing you lots more in the next post, but we saw a few today. It’s hard to pick a favorite – besides, we haven’t seen them all yet! The balloonists sign up for different sessions, so you’ll see some of the same balloons at multiple events and others will be new. With hundreds out there, it’s impossible to see them all! For those interested, there is a Balloon Fiesta app (of course) that lists each balloon, the pilot, country of origin, etc. Folks come from all over the world to participate!

All shapes, sizes and colors!

Cheetah

Stagecoach.

Fractal patterns - we think these are some of the prettiest!

Jester in the middle. :)

We decided to hang out by the RV instead of attending the evening session. We weren’t sure of the timing of the fireworks show and felt it was better to err on the side of caution. We were also interested in seeing what kind of view we could get from the roof of our RV. As it turns out – a pretty good one! We watched the skydiving show and Evening Glow from our rooftop.

Skydivers put on two shows for the evening sessions.

Evening Glow from the roof of our RV.

Riley had his CBD treats and Thunderjacket on for the evening fireworks. I did mention that the downside of our RV lot is its proximity to the fireworks launching area, the mortars are set up maybe 100 yards from our RV. They do a pretty impressive show and you can feel the percussion in your chest when the big mortars go off. Thwump! Bang! Riley isn’t a huge fan. But he did fine and it only lasts about 15 minutes. Hopefully by the time we leave, he’ll be totally desensitized and we can take fireworks off the list of things to avoid. I can dream, can’t I?? In the meantime, no pictures since we were babysitting our boy. 

Tomorrow we’ll have another early start and another chance at mass ascension. We’ve scoped out a good vantage point and this time we’re bringing chairs and our coffee. Lol.

Taos, Ojo Caliente, and We Made it to Albuquerque!

The 2019 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta officially opens tomorrow (Saturday, 10/5)! So in anticipation of VERY early mornings and late nights, I wanted to get you caught up on what we’ve been up to.

As I mentioned in the last post, we were looking at three days of high winds so we got up early on Tuesday, 9/29, and left our spot on San Luis Lakes after just one coffee. (Sacrifices must be made to the wind gods.) After a quick stop at the dump station, we were on the road by 8am. The good news, we only had a hundred miles to our next stop – a boondocking location called Taos Junction. We found a decent spot and were all set up before the winds started in earnest. Yay us!

Taos Junction is an area off of Forest Service Road 557 near Ojo Caliente, NM. If you have a smaller rig there are lots of options. There is a veritable maze of narrow tracks with places to pull off and camp. In a big rig, there are fewer choices. While we were happy with our spot, this area wouldn’t be high on our list of recommendations – way too much trash and broken glass. Some days it is really hard to like the human race. ☹

Our boondocking spot at Taos Junction.

Who's beast is this?
Someone needs a bath!

On Wednesday we drove into Taos. On the way we stopped at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, it's 600 feet across and, at 565 feet high, it's the second highest bridge in the US. Built in 1966, it is now on the National Register of Historic Places. There's a short trail along the gorge and I scored some nice jewelry from local artists set up near the bridge. A worthwhile stop. 😊 

The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge.

Rog had read a lot about Taos and its thriving artist community. There were galleries everywhere and some neat shops, but we weren’t able to give them more than a cursory look since puppy-boy wasn’t welcome inside most places. We tried to visit the Taos Pueblo, an adobe complex that has been inhabited by Native Americans for 1000 years. Unfortunately, we weren’t aware it was San Geronimo Day – an important celebration and feast day for the Taos Pueblo people. Part of the celebration was open to the public, but the line of traffic to get there was ridiculous and with it being so crowded we just gave up on it.   Luckily, we did find Taos Mesa Brewing which had a Riley-friendly patio. No day trip that includes a good beer and excellent pizza can be considered a total loss. Lol.

The boys take a break while Mommy shops. :)

A spot we can all enjoy!

Our next stop was one we’d been looking forward to – Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort and Spa. While the mineral springs have been used by native peoples for thousands of years, the spa first opened its doors in 1868. They offer a variety of accommodations, including RV spaces. We had two nights booked to just soak and relax!

At Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort and Spa. Ahhhhhhh.

Beautiful setting at the Cliffside pools.

Fires in the evening too!

Someone had fun with the fencing. :)

The spa had about a dozen pools with varying temperatures (89° to 104°) and different mineral contents – iron, soda, lithia, and arsenic. I’m not sure just how therapeutic “taking the waters” actually is, but I’ll give soaking in hot mineral water until I’m boneless a fair trial. They also had wet and dry saunas, we liked the eucalyptus steam sauna, it only took a few minutes in there and I was a wet noodle. Lol.

Medicinal or marketing?
Who cares when it feels this good.

Rog in the Arsenic pool. 

In addition to the mineral springs, there was a mountain biking trail for Rog and a hiking trail for Riley and me. Rog did the 8-mile Rincon Loop on Wednesday. It was a tougher climb and not as scenic as his last ride, but he still had a good time. This area has been home to Pueblo tribes for nearly 3000 years and there are Pueblo ruins just behind the resort. Rog saw thousands of pot shards littering the area. My inner Jeremy Crow would have been vibrating like a tuning fork. People have piled them on flat rocks and he took pictures so I could look but not touch. Sigh.

Rincon Loop Trail.

Ancient pottery shards littered the area.
So freaking cool!

Riley and I walked the 2-mile Bosque River Loop Trail and he, of course, managed to get his feet wet. Since he’d just gotten a long overdue bath, I had no intention of letting him get too wet and muddy!

On the Bosque River Trail.

The restored adobe round barn.

Ojo Caliente was a nice treat. We had dinner at the on-site Artesian Restaurant, soaked ourselves silly, and did just enough hiking and biking to feel virtuous. Lol.

And now, finally – we get to the bucket-list destination, the purpose of this 2-month fall jaunt to the southwest – the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta!! We arrived on Thursday, 10/3, and, with the help of the friendly volunteers, got registered and assigned our spot. A few months ago, we were given the opportunity to upgrade from the South RV lot to a new area they just opened this year, the North VIP Lot. The South Lot is nearly a mile from the launch field (there is a free shuttle), while the North lot is literally a stone’s throw away. The downside (isn’t there always one) is that we’re close to where they set off the fireworks. We’re not sure how close or how Riley is going to handle it, but we figured we’d give it a try. We brought CBD treats and if that doesn’t work, worst case scenario, on fireworks nights we’ll take Riley and hang out somewhere else. For the rest of the time we’ll be super close to launch field, the vendors, and all the action!

Yep, it's just a gravel parking lot.
But it's a gravel parking lot close to the action!!

After getting set up, Rog dropped me off at the laundromat while he did the Costco run. Several hours later we had clean clothes and enough dog food to get us home. Lol. Friday was a free day, since the Balloon Fiesta doesn't start until Saturday. There was a possibility of thunderstorms forecast throughout the day. The weather didn’t look too bad in the morning, so Rog and I decided to visit the Rio Grande Arts and Crafts Festival. It was held in a huge tented area at the Sandia Resort and Casino not too far from where we’re staying. I am always in awe of the talent and creativity on display at these shows. We were perusing the booths when we heard the rumble of thunder. A few minutes later there was a deluge. Rog checked his weather app and we were right underneath the red and yellow band of a significant thunderstorm. Pretty soon the water started pouring in under the edges of the tent and dripping through the heavy canvas roof. The vendors were scrambling to get their items out of harm’s way. We waited a few minutes and after the worst had passed, made a run for the car.

Riley and our RV were fine, but parts of the RV lot were flooded. What a mess! We’re just not used to that kind of heavy, monsoon rain. A couple hours later the sun was shining and the forecast is for clear skies and temps in the 70’s the rest of the week. Fingers crossed!

Flooding at our RV lot.
Hope this is the last of the rains for awhile.

In the afternoon, we took Riley and headed into Albuquerque to the Friday Night 5^th Street Market. It sounded cool, but the website information was incorrect and by the time we’d finally located it, we were unimpressed. We decided to skip it and check out Green Jean’s Farmery. Now, this place was a hit! Green Jean’s is a collection of small businesses housed in a two-story building fabricated from shipping containers. The restaurants are anchored by the Santa Fe Brewing Company (founded in 1988 by thirsty people desperate for good beer - Lol). It is eclectic, colorful, fun, delicious and kid and dog-friendly! Rog found it by doing an on-line search for the best green-chili burger in Albuquerque. It did not disappoint. Excellent burger, good beer and homemade ice cream from Nitro Fog Creamery. Yeah, we may be going back. Lol.

The boys are having too much fun. Lol. 

Well that catches you up. Tomorrow at 6am is the first Dawn Patrol Show. I am excited and hope I’ll be able get pictures to share that do it justice. More to come!