Bluff Balloon Festival

A friend of mine told us about a balloon festival in Bluff Utah just a few hours from Telluride. January seems like an odd and cold time of year for such an event but with the unusually warm temperatures over the last couple of weeks, we decided it might be fun to see. The trip, it turns out, would provide more entertainment than just the balloon festival.

 

 

left: I never could determine where the “650 A.D.” came from.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bluff was inhabited by the “basket makers” and “cliff dwellers” (Anasazi culture) until 1300 A.D.. Following the prehistoric cultures, the Ute, Paiute and Navaho tribes made the valley along the San Juan River their home and had a significant influence in its development. In the 1880’s, a group of Mormon settlers established the first white settlement in the area.

 

 

 

left: The “Bluffs” above the town.

 

 

 

 

right: The Lil’ Dude “drives” a wagon at “Fort Bluff”, a replica of the Mormon settlement.

 

 

 

 

 

left: An “ice flow” on the San Juan River.

 

 

 

 

The tiny town (pop.300) lies at the base of impressive 300 foot sandstone bluffs (hence, it’s name) and still contains houses from the early settlers. Despite the balloon festival, January seemed to be the “off season” as most of the galleries, cafes, oufitters and hotels were closed. But, at sunrise on Saturday morning, people started arriving from seemingly nowhere to see the balloons take off.

 

 

 

left: A view from “Cemetery Hill”

 

 

 

 

 

 

right: Cemetery Hill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

left and below: A launch from Cemetery Hill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Several vacant patches of land around the town were designated as launching areas and all of them could be viewed from cemetery hill, a 150 foot rise above the valley floor. We weren’t the only ones to choose that viewpoint as the parking area was quite full by the time the balloons started to inflate. We scanned the town and watched as one by one the balloons popped up above the trees and houses and began to float into the sky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, the show wasn’t quite like the Albuquerque balloon extravaganza in which their mass ascension includes over 600 balloons! But, for the tiny town of Bluff, to see thirteen balloons ascend against the backdrop of the orange sandstone cliffs was really beautiful. The balloons slowly made their way down the valley and with the wide open spaces, we were able to follow their progress for miles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The pilots would be back with their balloons do a ”glow in” after sunset. Meanwhile, we had the afternoon to do some exploring. So, we headed to Valley of the Gods, a smaller version of Monument Valley just 25 miles from Bluff.

 

 

 

left and below: The drive to “Valley of the Gods”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We almost missed the small nondescript sign to the turn off for the 16 mile dirt road that winds through park. The road is a combination of washboard, small hills and washouts best used in good weather with a hardy vehicle. Fortunately, we had sunny skies and our little Honda CRV did OK except for developing a few new squeaks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The road wound around sandstone formations with names like the Seven Sailors, Rooster Butte, Battleship Rock, Castle Butte and Lady in a Tub. It was a bit like finding images in cloud formations with each person’s eye having a different interpretation. We even saw one that was the spitting image of George Washington.

 

 

 

 

left: Do you see a profile of George Washington’s head at the top?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After or tour of rock formations, we headed back to Bluff to find some Petroglyphs. Sand Island Park just outside of town had a huge wall full of images and the owner of the only open cafe in town told us about a wall a short drive and hike at the end of town which also had some interesting images.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The directions for the hike were a bit vague and I had my doubts as we walked off into nowhere. But, 45 minutes later, we were at the base of a cliff with striking petroglyphs. Not the teenage graffiti type like we had seen in Albuquerque but, the real deal. Kokopelli’s, herds of beasts, ladders for cliff dwellings etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We then headed back to town for the “Glow-in” where the pilots inflate their balloons but stay grounded then shoot the flames into their canopies lighting the balloons up like giant night lights. The Dudes thought it was great and one pilot invited them to take a turn in the basket while he lit up his canopy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our jaunt over to Utah proved to be fun and fascinating and left us wanting more. Perhaps, in the Spring when things thaw out, we can get back for an even better look at what else Utah has to offer.

 

above: The “Glow-in”. 

 

“How posterity will laugh at us, one way or other! If half a dozen break their necks, and balloonism is exploded, we shall be called fools for having imagined it could be brought to use: if it should be turned to account, we shall be ridiculed for having doubted.”

— Horace Walpole, letter to Horace Mann, 24 June 1785.