ALBUQUERQUE — The realization that Saturday morning’s winds would prove too much for hot air balloon flight on the first day of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta came slowly at first, then all at once.
What began as anxious rumblings at dawn among the tens of thousands circled around balloons pulsing with hot air turned into a brief jovial panic after a single eastward gust turned Balloon Fiesta Park into an obstacle course of gargantuan nylon inflatables toppling onto the grass.
Guests and piloting teams coming from local cities and worldwide destinations for the annual event, which brings people from across the globe to New Mexico, shared a mix of joy, disappointment and understanding at the delicate nature of balloon travel and its resulting grounded balloons.
As many atte