Pagosa Springs WinterFest

After a hiatus of about seven years, the hot air balloons returned to be part of the WinterFest activities at Pagosa Springs, a town just west of Durango, New Mexico.

They first took to the skies on Saturday morning, Feb. 15, from the downtown area at just after 8:30 a.m and will do so again on Sunday (weather permitting).

The photographic opportunities for a winter balloon ascension are stunning with the snow-capped mountains in the background and the colorful balloons in the foreground.

This time-lapse video taken on Saturday morning shows just how cold it was with the steam rising off the springs.