Skiing the Source
This water engineer finds solace in following Denver’s water supply straight to the snowpack.
This water engineer finds solace in following Denver’s water supply straight to the snowpack.
Water Engineer Corinne B.
Corinne grew up in a family where recreation time was spent in restaurants and museums. So when she met her friend Laura whose family was going portaging in Canada’s Algonquin Provincial Park, Corinne immediately responded, “That sounds crazy, and I want to go. How do we do this?” That trip set her on a course for spending more time chasing adventure which eventually landed her in Denver.
Quick Hits
Occupation: Water Engineer
Activities: Backcountry Skiing, Trail Running, Mountain Biking
Years in Colorado: Five
Civic Engagement: Mentor with Little Bellas
From Hardhat to Helmet
How this water engineer spends her time off.
Corinne’s Favorite Feature
Slope Angle
Every year she goes on a hut trip with 16 or so folks. Having to account for 16 sets of skill levels and risk tolerances is a challenging task. For this, she uses Slope Angle and then shares the Offline Routes with the crew. “We’ll make a Hut Trip onX folder with Offline Maps. That way everyone knows where everyone else will be during the day.”
What Does Time Offline Mean to You?
“The sound of skins sliding on fresh pow when you make your own skin track is so beautiful and relaxing. There’s nothing else like it. Time offline is going out in the mountains and having a beautiful day. My number one expectation is to have fun, and if that isn’t the case I’m turning around to do something else. Being able to ski an hour from my house, somewhere safe, mellow, and relaxing while putting my phone in Airplane mode is unbelievable. If you’d told me 10 years ago that it’s how I’m spending my weekends, I wouldn’t have believed you.”
Q&A
What’s in your pack?
“Bobo’s oat bars, first aid kit, extra layers, and a few extra pairs of lenses.”
When did you know you wanted to work in water?
While on a class trip to China, Corinne got her first taste of adventure through two critical errors. The group was on a train when hunger struck, as is common for her. The simplest plan was to visit the train’s food cart. “My first mistake was getting the three-flame dried instant noodles.” For the uninitiated, Corinne explains, “Three flames is really frickin’ spicy.” To make matters worse, “I filled up my noodles with hot water from the train bathroom sink. I got worms. It was really bad.” While that experience was awful, it catalyzed a desire to help humans engage with systems-level water consumption and set her on a path to becoming a water engineer for the Mile High City.
How do you find new lines?
“My favorite thing to do is to get a chai latte and drive around looking for cool mountains. Even if I’m on the way somewhere, I’ll stop, pull out onX Backcountry, and assess what kind of objective this is. Especially, if ski tracks are going up somewhere, that’s when I know to drop a Waypoint.”
What’s your ideal line?
“Under 30 degrees. Drivable from Denver. Not super blown out.”
Talk about your life priorities.
“My number one priority is myself, my health, and my well-being. My number two priority is being excellent at my job. My number three priority is being a good partner to my boyfriend. I’m fortunate that a lot of that aligns with my goals for myself and the outdoors.”
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