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Donutrun | profile | all galleries >> Travel Glimpses >> Stowe Balloonfest, '13 tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Stowe Balloonfest, '13

A 4:59am Sunday morning departure got us to Stowe just in time for the pilots' briefing and first unfurlings at the 2013 Stoweflake Balloonfest. The promise of partly cloudy devolved into mostly cloudy, which diminished the photos, but the wind was nearly non-existent so the balloons were much easier to follow. Such fun, particularly having gained an insiders' experience by driving an official chase vehicle last year. Knowing the drill made it easier to absorb it all amidst the hecticness of launch and chase and landing. Plus, there's something new every time, so this was well worth the ride.
Welcome to the Stoweflake
Welcome to the Stoweflake 		Balloon Trucks Lining Up
Balloon Trucks Lining Up		 Baskets Unloading
Baskets Unloading		 Unfurling
Unfurling
Watching the Wind-Test Balloon
Watching the Wind-Test Balloon		 Unfurled
Unfurled		 Flame On
Flame On		 Spreading the Stoweflake
Spreading the Stoweflake
A few steps behind
A few steps behind		 Inflating Stoweflake
Inflating Stoweflake		 Attaching the top
Attaching the top		 Half Way There
Half Way There
Using Fan to Unfurl
Using Fan to Unfurl		 In Process
In Process		 Host Up First
Host Up First		 Following Suit
Following Suit
Another Wind-Test Balloon
Another Wind-Test Balloon		 Nearly There
Nearly There		 More In Process
More In Process		 One of Three
One of Three
Stoweflake Lifting
Stoweflake Lifting		 Stoweflake in Flight
Stoweflake in Flight		 Small Version
Small Version		 Three Astride
Three Astride
Stoweflake Underway
Stoweflake Underway		 Stoweflake Waiting
Stoweflake Waiting		 Getting There
Getting There		 Blues & Greens
Blues & Greens
Rainbow
Rainbow		 From Top, Looking Through to Burner
From Top, Looking Through to Burner		 Muscling Their Way Up
Muscling Their Way Up		 Flight
Flight
Pretty
Pretty		 Paired
Paired		 Orange & Yellow
Orange & Yellow		 Launchings Continue
Launchings Continue
Skies Starting to Fill
Skies Starting to Fill		 Still More Coming
Still More Coming		 Lifting in Pairs
Lifting in Pairs		 Two More
Two More
Drifting Off
Drifting Off		 Clearing Trees
Clearing Trees		 Sneaking Away
Sneaking Away		 Trio Take Off
Trio Take Off
Eight Away
Eight Away		 Still More!
Still More!		 Step By Step
Step By Step		 Floating Nearby
Floating Nearby
Gentle Passage
Gentle Passage		 Directly Above
Directly Above		 Heart Formation?
Heart Formation?		 And there's still more!
And there's still more!
Orange is Away
Orange is Away		 Rising Above
Rising Above		 Making the Escape
Making the Escape		 Others Getting There
Others Getting There
Like This Angle
Like This Angle		 Field Clearing
Field Clearing		 Heading Out
Heading Out		 Nice Colors
Nice Colors
Celtic Knot
Celtic Knot		 Leaving the Area
Leaving the Area		 Going Up?
Going Up?		 Coming Down?
Coming Down?
Catching Up
Catching Up		 On their Way
On their Way		 From the Ground
From the Ground		 Someone Has to Be Last
Someone Has to Be Last
On Course
On Course		 Nice 'n Close
Nice 'n Close		 Circles In The Sky
Circles In The Sky		 Friendly Pair
Friendly Pair
Knots Away
Knots Away		 Chasing the Crowd
Chasing the Crowd		 There They Go
There They Go		 The Chasing Begins
The Chasing Begins
Over the Golf Course
Over the Golf Course		 Over the Storage Barn
Over the Storage Barn		 Over the Cow
Over the Cow		 Cows & Balloons
Cows & Balloons
Above the Trees
Above the Trees		 Above the Photographer
Above the Photographer		 Come this Way
Come this Way		 Historic Barn & Balloons
Historic Barn & Balloons
Posing with Barn
Posing with Barn		 Posing with Cupola
Posing with Cupola		 Go That Way
Go That Way		 Sky Full
Sky Full
There They Are
There They Are		 Starting to Land
Starting to Land		 Finding An Opening
Finding An Opening		 Settling In
Settling In
Beyond the Garden
Beyond the Garden		 Roadside
Roadside		 Walking Along Side Garden
Walking Along Side Garden		 Soloist II
Soloist II
Finding the best spot
Finding the best spot		 Not Alone
Not Alone		 Here's Another
Here's Another		 The Chase Is Over
The Chase Is Over

comment | share
kendra gratton 15-Jul-2013 03:37
Love the cow "thought bubbles"...
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