Ogden Valley Balloon Festival

Stormy weather threatened to cancel the festivities, but sunshine and calm winds prevailed and I was able to make it to the annual Ogden Valley Balloon Festival for the first time this summer. Here are a few highlights.

Shannon White flies his hot air balloon, Mountain Breeze, over Pineview Reservoir during the Ogden Valley Balloon Festival on Friday, August 14, 2015. White and his wife live in Colorado and have been coming to the Ogden Valley Balloon Festival since 2003.
©Benjamin Zack/Standard-Examiner

Pineview Reservoir and the Ogden Valley is visible from a hot air ballon during the Ogden Valley Balloon Festival on Friday, August 14, 2015.
©Benjamin Zack/Standard-Examiner

The early morning sun shines through Moonshine, a hot air balloon from Utah during the Ogden Valley Balloon Festival on Friday, August 14, 2015. Moonshine was the first balloon to go up after weather delayed the launch.
©Benjamin Zack/Standard-Examiner

Summer Snow

OK, it isn't really snow, but the wind last night in Ogden Valley was kicking up so many seed pods that it looked like a snow storm in 70 degree weather.

©Benjamin Zack, 2015

Avon Two Wildfire

I was out photographing the Avon Two wildfire near Ogden last week. (Not to be confused with the first Avon fire which I watched start a few weeks ago by dumb luck.) You can find more photos, info, and a video here, but a few photo selects are below.

©Standard-Examiner/Benjamin Zack

©Standard-Examiner/Benjamin Zack

©Standard-Examiner/Benjamin Zack

©Standard-Examiner/Benjamin Zack

©Standard-Examiner/Benjamin Zack