America's Challenge

On the return from Bernalillo, in the sunset gloaming, we were fortunate to see all five contestants for the America's Challenge, hanging low over the Rio Grande Valley just after launch. These were long-distance hydrogen balloons. The goal was to travel as far as possible (last year's winner landed at the ND/Canadian border). Most years see a dozen challengers: because of the recent rise in the price of hydrogen, and the fact that it's mostly a European sport, this year there were only five. Unlike the hot air balloons, they are happy to launch just before sunset, and here they were, hanging low over Alameda and Sandia Pueblo.