July 14, 2023 – Boulder, CO – Three engineers donned their Odyssey t-shirts, life jackets, tubes, and helmets in an unconventional commute down Boulder Creek to the office. Along with a few hundred others, they floated down the river as part of Boulder’s 15th annual Tube to Work Day. Tube to Work Day started among a group of friends wanting to see if they could get to work without the use of fossil fuels but has since become a beloved community event, ending in a party a mile downstream.
Unfortunately for our engineers, their tubes were no match for the class II-III rapids in store for them. One engineer made it a mere 300 feet before her tube sustained a fatal blow, leaving her to walk the almost 5 miles along the creek to work. On the bright side, she was able to take a lot of great photos.
The remaining two tubers had coasted around 3 miles before the second tragedy struck. After her tube lost a fight with a sharp branch, a second engineer set off on foot. The sole remaining tuber managed to make it another half mile before noticing his tube was rapidly deflating. By the time all three walked into the office soaking wet and breaking dress code, their commute clocked in at a little under 3 hours. While this may not be the most efficient mode of transportation, our tubers already have their sights set on next year.
