Outdoor Sounds

Distant highway traffic drifts across the water in this morning commute capture from a cliffside rental in Osage Beach.

The morning commute. 

Not every recording is about untouched wilderness. My rental property in Osage Beach, Missouri, had a great, but distant view of a local highway bridge, so I captured what it sounded like first thing in the morning: the ambient flow of cars and trucks, likely people making their way to work while I sat back and watched from the cliffside.

I’m not sure how many listeners will enjoy the sound of cars in the distance. But it was a defining feature of the property, and a soundscape is a soundscape. Think of it as a kind of white noise: a steady, rolling wash of traffic, softened by distance, with the lake and the early-day atmosphere settled in underneath. If you’ve ever found calm in the hum of a city from a safe remove, this one might surprise you.

Thanks to Lake.com for partnering with me on this trip. Want to discover your next family vacation destination? Visit Lake.com.

Recorded with a Sound Devices MixPre 6 and LOM BasicUchos in ORTF stereo.

This is Outdoor Sounds.

Links

Lake.com

Busy midday boat traffic on the Lake of the Ozarks: engines, wakes, and the sounds of a summer afternoon on the water.

Listen in to this capture of busy midday boats enjoying the lake. Recorded during a trip to the Lake of the Ozarks, this episode is all about the energy of a summer afternoon on the water. Speedboats, pontoons, and other watercraft pass by in a near-constant parade, engines rising and fading as they approach and pull away, with wakes slapping against the shoreline in between.

Compared to the quieter dock and evening recordings from this trip, this is the lake at its busiest. It’s a lively, ever-changing soundscape. There’s no solitude here, just the sound of everyone out making the most of a warm day. Put on headphones and let the traffic drift by.

Thanks to Lake.com for partnering with me on this trip. Want to discover your next family vacation destination? Visit Lake.com.

Recorded with a Sound Devices MixPre 6 and LOM BasicUchos in ORTF stereo.

This is Outdoor Sounds.

LinksLake.com

A relaxed dockside moment at Lake of the Ozarks—waves, ambient lake life, and a well-earned drink.

Me, a beverage, and the dock at my Lake of the Ozarks rental. 

After a busy day of boats and lake activity, there’s something nice about sitting still and letting the water do the talking—waves lapping against the shoreline, the ambient hum of the lake going about its evening business, and the occasional clink of a glass as I take another sip.

Big thanks to Lake.com for partnering with me on this trip. Want to discover your next family vacation destination? Visit Lake.com.

Recorded with a Sound Devices MixPre 6 and LOM BasicUchos in ORTF stereo.

This is Outdoor Sounds.

Links

Lake.com

A summer evening at Lake of the Ozarks—boats, waves, birds, distant cars, and a creaking metal dock.

Ever wonder what the Lake of the Ozarks sounds like on a summer evening? This episode captures a cliffside waterfront property in Osage Beach, Missouri, as the day eases into evening.

Listen for the steady rhythm of waves rolling in below, boats passing in the distance, birds settling in for the night, and the occasional hum of cars along the road above. Every so often, the metal dock creaks and groans underfoot, adding its own voice to the mix. It’s a calmer, slower version of the lake than you might expect from the daytime hustle. This one is a good reminder that even a busy summer destination has its quiet moments.

Special thanks to Lake.com  for partnering on this episode. If you’re looking to discover your next family vacation destination, head to Lake.com to start planning.

Recorded in ORTF stereo with a Sound Devices MixPre 6 and LOM BasicUchos.

This is Outdoor Sounds.

LinksLake.com

Sunset ambience from a lakefront cliffside in Osage Beach—speed boats, pontoons, and jet skis on the Lake of the Ozarks.

Lake of the Ozarks at sunset.

This is a different kind of soundscape than usual: less solitude, more energy, capturing that golden-hour buzz of a lake in full summer swing as the sun goes down. 

I recently had the opportunity to stay on a beautiful lakefront property in Osage Beach, Missouri, perched along a cliffside stretch of the Lake of the Ozarks. Unlike some of the quieter, more remote spots featured on this show, this lake is a busy one—and you’ll hear it. Speed boats roar past, pontoons cruise by at a lazier pace, and jet skis cut through the water in bursts, all layered over the gentle lapping of waves against the shoreline below.

There’s something enjoyable about sitting back and just letting the activity wash over you, cliffside, drink in hand, as the day winds to a close.

Special thanks to Lake for partnering on this episode. If you’re looking to discover your next family vacation destination, head to Lake.com to start planning.

Recorded in ORTF stereo with a Sound Devices MixPre 6 and LOM BasicUchos.

This is Outdoor Sounds.

Links

Lake.com

A campus pond—birds, baby ducks, e-bikes, and distant traffic on the East Beltline.

The mystery of the disappearing waterfall.

A listener recently reached out with a request: record the waterfall on the Calvin College campus in Grand Rapids. (You know who you are, and thank you for the tip!) So I made the trip out, mic in hand, only to discover that the waterfall had vanished. Turns out they apparently shut it off for the summer. Whatever the reasoning, I showed up to a very waterfall-less pond.

Not one to waste a trip, I recorded the scene anyway. What you’ll hear instead is a lively slice of campus life: birds calling back and forth, a family of baby ducks paddling around, students zipping by on e-bikes, and the steady hum of cars passing on the East Beltline in the distance.

Recorded in ORTF stereo with a Zoom F3 and LOM BasicUchos.

This is Outdoor Sounds.

A binaural walk out from a remote cabin—wagon wheels, slush, birds, and woodland creatures in true stereo.

In this episode, you hear my trek as I reluctantly leave a secluded A-frame cabin tucked about a mile into the woods—pulling a wagon loaded with my gear back through the slush toward the car, the woods slowly waking up around me.

Listen with headphones to get the true left-right experience of the hike: the wagon wheels creaking and crunching to one side, birdsong drifting in and out overhead, and the occasional rustle of some unseen woodland creature moving through the brush. 

This one is less about the destination and more about closing out a good, quiet stretch of time in the woods. It’s a great one for an immersive listen—close your eyes and you’re right there on the trail with me.

Recorded with a Sound Devices Mix-Pre 6 and a DPA binaural headset.

This is Outdoor Sounds.

The quiet crackle of a wood stove and the scratch of a pen while planning the year ahead in a remote A-frame.

Find solitude. This is Outdoor Sounds.

Solo escape in a little A-frame cabin for a yearly planning session. This isn’t technically “outdoors,” but the cabin is simple and remote enough that I’ll let it slide.

This episode is a quiet one: the small wood stove ticking and crackling as it warms the space, the occasional shift of weight on a wooden chair, and me working through notes and intentions for the months to come. There's no rush to it—just the slow, steady work of thinking things through with a fire going and nowhere else to be.

Just a reminder of how good it feels to slow down in a small space with a single task in front of you.

Recorded in ORTF stereo with LOM BasicUchos, into a Zoom F3.

This is Outdoor Sounds.

During an overnight planning retreat, I stayed in a tiny A-frame cabin about a mile into the woods from the parking area. Warm enough that day to turn the snow into thick, messy slush—so enjoy the sounds of that walk, there and back.

Recorded with a Sound Devices MixPre 6 and a Sennheiser shotgun mic.

This is Outdoor Sounds.

At the beginning of the year, I had the chance to stay in a tiny A-frame cabin for an overnight planning retreat, tucked about a mile into the woods from where you park your car. On this particular day, the temperature crept just high enough to turn all that snow into a thick, messy slush—perfect walking-recording conditions, if such a thing exists.

This episode captures that walk, both to and from the cabin. Every step brings a slightly different texture: the wet suck and release of boots pulling out of slush, the crunch of a still-frozen patch underfoot, the occasional splash through standing meltwater. It's a simple, repetitive soundscape, but there's something satisfying about the rhythm of it—footsteps as a kind of percussion track for the woods in transition between winter and thaw.

If you’ve ever trudged through late-season snow that can’t decide whether it wants to be solid or liquid, you'll know exactly what you’re hearing. Consider it a small, immersive reminder of what a mile in the woods can sound like when the seasons are caught in the inbetween.

Recorded with a Sound Devices MixPre 6 and a Sennheiser shotgun mic.

This is Outdoor Sounds.

The crackle and hum of a wood stove inside a small A-frame cabin during a solo winter planning retreat.

Near the beginning of this year, I took my annual planning retreat—a tradition where I step away on my own to think through the year ahead. This time, that meant a few quiet days in a small A-frame cabin: just a table, a cot for sleeping, and a wood stove for warmth.

It’s not technically an “outdoor” recording, but the spirit is the same. You’ll hear the stove doing its work—crackling, popping, settling—as it fills the small space with heat against the winter cold outside. In the background, I'm moving through the simple rhythms of the retreat: making a basic dinner, settling in for the evening, and journaling about the year to come. Something is grounding about a soundscape built entirely from small, deliberate tasks … no rush, no agenda beyond staying warm and thinking clearly.

If you’ve ever spent a night in a cabin with nothing but a stove between you and the cold, this one will feel familiar. If you haven't, consider this an invitation.

Recorded with a Sound Devices MixPre 6 and a Sennheiser shotgun mic.

This is Outdoor Sounds.