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WHAT'S NEW
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Take a ride in a hot air balloon
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Brush the treetops and float among the clouds on an unforgettable ride above Albuquerque, N.M.
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By Jennifer Melo
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OK, I'm no daredevil. Plummeting down a death-defying drop on a rollercoaster is my idea of terror, not fun. But when I sign up to take a ride in a hot air balloon in Albuquerque, N.M., I'm excited. Visions of peacefully drifting along above the treetops settle the niggling fears about heights that creep into my mind.
A waiver, a phobia and setup
Even as I sign a waiver that'll keep me from suing ride operators Rainbow Ryders Inc. in case our balloon meets a villain like a perilous power line, my giddy excitement overrules any anxiety about the potential of a ballooning-gone-wrong incident. One member of our group of 12 riders has a serious fear of heights and I suspect his jitters might rub off on me so I keep my distance from him during balloon setup.
Set-up, safety and say what?
The gondola (basket), propane burners and balloon come out of a hitched trailer and I soon learn that the experience of ballooning begins before you step into the gondola.
There's a charming tradition that marks the occasion, where riders can help set up before lift off and help pack up the giant deflated balloon after landing. Once the operators inflate the balloon with enough cool air to just make the balloon rise off the ground, my fellow passengers and I climb into the gondola and our pilot briefs us with safety instructions.
For landing we should line up like dominos and face our pilot, hold on to rope grips at our sides and bend our knees. And then comes the bit of information that rouses my fears again: We should expect some "dragging" on landing and the basket could tip. Say what? Dragging and tipping is not in line with my vision of peacefully drifting among the clouds. But it's too late to turn back now. With that unsettling information, the pilot ignites the burners to heat the air that inflates the balloon and the gondola rises.
Ready for takeoff
I feel a flash of panic and become unsettlingly aware of gravity as the weight of the gondola pushes into my feet and lifts off the ground. It rises higher, and higher...and higher. My inner voice repeats, "Oh my God, I'm suspended in a basket high above the ground!" several times as I struggle for composure. My legs freeze up and I distract myself with photography, taking an unnecessary amount of photos until we lift up high enough so traffic looks like dinky cars and people look small enough to be ants.
Whether it's from a lost sense of reality as everything below me looks miniature or it's a result of defeat from knowing there's no way out, a sudden -- and welcome -- sense of calm replaces my fears.
The balloon drifts over busy traffic, quiet homes, an empty school field, a gentle stream and open fields where we see two coyotes roam. I sense my fellow passengers are at ease since there's more chatter in the gondola and I'm happy to just take it all in. The pilot lowers our balloon so our gondola brushes treetops and we watch a neighbouring balloon's gondola dip low enough to touch the waters of the Rio Grande. At one point, we climb to 1,750 feet and our poor altophobic passenger who seemed to be faring well looks a bit pained now and I'm thankful I'm still completely at ease and able to enjoy the ride. He seems calmer when the balloon descends to a more respectable height. We enjoy an hour-long ride, dipping and climbing to varying altitudes and marvel at the wonderful view until it's time to touch down.
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