Email this story Print this story Archives

Up, up and away: Balloon flight an uplifting experience

By JARED DuBACH - Lifestyles Editor
Saturday, September 20, 2008 12:54 AM PDT

Hot air balloons ascend over Elko Friday morning. This photo was taken from Ingrid Martell's Obsession. (Jared DuBach/Elko Daily Free Press)

ELKO - The alarm clock blares an unrecognizable '70s pop song at 3:30 Friday morning, prompting me to wonder, “Do I dare hit the snooze button at least one more time?” For some, this is way too early, but not for a hot air balloon pilot.

In this region many people are already hard at work by 6 a.m., and pilot Ingrid Martell is certainly one of them. In fact, several pilots met this morning at High Desert Inn to go over the morning's launch plan before taking off from points within the city. Martell launched her balloon, Obsession, from Mountain View Elementary School on the north side of town as part of the first day of the Ruby Mountain Balloon Festival, which continues through the weekend.

Balloons will take off at 6:30 a.m. from Spring Creek Sports Complex today and Sunday. A buckaroo breakfast by the Kiwanis is 5:30-10:30 a.m. each day.

While these balloons are certainly impressive viewing during flight, it takes being part of a ground crew getting them into the air to really get a sense of how much effort goes into operating a hot air balloon - and doing it time and again. As the balloon's envelope fills with air, the resistance against those holding it open and in place becomes so great one wonders, “How much longer can I hold this thing before it picks me up off the ground?”

But then the word is given, all hands let go and the balloon stands up. Martell, the other passengers and I climbed in and after a few bursts of the burner, Obsession lifts high into the air over Elko's north side. Although the ride is smooth, it's not for those who are afraid of heights. Although there are certainly plenty of things that can go wrong during a balloon flight, there are plenty that can go right as was the case with this morning's endeavor.

With the sun peaking over the Ruby Mountains, people could be seen driving to work, others waved from their back yards as they had breakfast out on the patio and children stopped briefly to stare in awe as they rode their bikes to school. And more than one dog felt the need to protect its property from the red, black and white behemoth floating overhead.

At 6 miles per hour it only took a 30 minutes to get from Mountain View to a roadway just northwest of Home Depot, not that one would notice. There's something about being up in the air that negates a need for something as limiting as time.

Troubles fade away and preoccupation, for the passenger at least, is trying to remember which buildings are which.

Martell dropped the balloon down briefly for passengers to switch out before taking off again. I stepped out of the basket, remembering what it was like to be one of those children in awe of the balloon in my own youth. And the child within me was shouting, “I want to go again! I want to go again!”

By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by our comment policy.

**Your Member ID and password will be required to log in. Your comments will appear under your user name.