Ed and I went to bed early, but we also got up early for my birthday present – a hot air balloon ride with Wild West Balloon Adventures! I’ve wanted to ride in a hot air balloon ever since we regularly saw hot air balloons flying over our previous home in Windsor, Wis. Finally that dream became reality!
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Flying High with Wild West
The skies were partly cloudy and partly sunny when we arrived at 6:45 a.m. It was pretty cold out. The company was carefully monitoring the weather, as there were some storms in the area. That delayed our departure until after 8 a.m., but that was fine. Better safe than sorry!
The flight was amazing. It was so smooth and silent, other than the gas/fire going into the balloon. Steamboat Springs is a picturesque town, with the Yampa River winding 
throughout. So that, coupled with the mountains, made for a gorgeous flight.
Afterward, we received a flight certificate and celebrated with a glass of champagne, which is a tradition after taking a hot air balloon ride.
Goodbye, Ed!
Ed had to go home at 12:30 p.m., unfortunately. It was really sad to see him go, as this year’s hike has been difficult, and his presence keeps me grounded. Now it’s just me on the trail for another 10 days or so.
It’s time to do one more (small) load of laundry. I have just one pair of pants, which I love but am so sick of wearing. Even though they haven’t gotten dirty these last two days in town, I want a perfectly clean pair when I start out tomorrow, as I’ll be wearing them for another 5-6 days. Ugh.
Snowshoe
P.S. I highly recommend the Holiday Inn here. The rooms are clean and comfy, and the staff is superb, both the housekeeping staff and front desk folks. And their restaurant is good, too.
Today’s Miles: 0 (0 km)
CDT Miles to Date: 1,035.8 (1,667 km)
CDT Miles to Go: 2,064.2 (3,322 km)
