Jackson Hole Hot Air Balloon Ride...Keep Your Hands Inside the Basket!Should you venture out on a Jackson Hole hot air balloon ride? Well, if you like the idea of rising very early, watching balloon operators fire up a colorful balloon in the cool misty Jackson Hole morning, while warming your hands on a hot cup of coffee...consider taking to the sky on a hot air balloon ride.
Once the balloon was upright, we quickly climbed into the basket and after a few blasts of hot air we began to rise. The burner is a bit loud and needs to be fired frequently (obviously to maintain altitude). So, I know this is necessary but found myself wishing that the trip was completely silent. It's so peaceful floating over the valley and getting an eagle's eye view, but the lucky eagles don't have to listen to the blast from the burner.
Floating above the valley in an open basket is kind of spiritual, with the wind and sun on your face. The flight lasted about a half hour or so, but I wasn't timing it. The flight ended just slightly north of the road turn-off to Teton Village.
As the balloon came down nearby, we bumped and dragged a little which got some adrenaline pumping. Then, too quickly, the ride was over. My glasses were never found. For a long time, I tromped through that very wet, irrigated field that was full of cow patty land mines...never found them. I loved those glasses, but, what a way to go, huh?
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My daughter talked me into this (as a night owl, it took some convincing). It takes a while to set up and inflate the balloon so those of us who are semi-comatose at dawn do have some time to arouse the senses before becoming airborne.
We boarded the balloon near Wilson, a small town in Jackson Hole, and drifted north slowly, gently, enjoying a lovely view of the southern end of the Teton Range. We sort of flew over Dick Cheney's Jackson Hole home, but I think that's restricted airspace or something so we really skirted it. But, he has a really nice pad in any case. 
That hand was holding my prescription glasses...my expensive, designer glasses...my very hip, slightly edgy glasses that I loved (NOT those in the picture which were just a cheapo pair of shades). My hand opened up as I relaxed and the glasses became one with gravity. I calmly (for the most part) watched my very cool glasses go into a slow, lazy spiral as they fell to the cow pasture below. As calm as I was, I realized too late that I had no back-up pair, so I tried to locate their exact resting place below...for a planned rescue mission. 