Think about the sounds you typically hear over the course of a normal day. It starts with the alarm clock and quickly fills with noise. The toaster, the hairdryer, the microwave, cars, cars, and more cars, people talking and shouting, buses, trucks, trains, planes, and of course your phone. If you're lucky you heard some birds singing on the way out the door. Other than the lawnmower, popcorn, and a log on the fire, my favorite sounds come from a land far from modern conveniences.
Next time you are out and about pay attention to what you hear. Insects buzzing, birds singing and calling, the wind in the trees (or your ears). In the mountains you might hear pikas and marmots barking, or larger animals like coyotes or wolves howling in the distance. In the fall, you might be treated to the eerie sound of bugling elk.
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| A not-so-distant coyote, not howling |
Water is life, and it also provides a great soundtrack. I can listen to crashing ocean waves or a gurgling river all day long. Rain falling on surfaces other than pavement is a wonderful experience. The pattering on a tree canopy is soothing enough to forget about being soaked, and rain falling in a pond is a magical sound. In a naturally quiet environment like a cave, there's a good chance you'll hear only a single drop of water at a time, maybe a few seconds apart, maybe a few minutes. Even better than rain is the sound of thunder in the distance. This can be a bit worrisome if you're a long way from shelter.
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| The soothing sounds of the Firehole River |
Late summer nights, if there is no thunder, fall asleep to the sound of the crickets. In the spring, fall asleep to the sound of the tree frogs. Another special spring sound, which I've only heard once, is the knocking sound the trees make after the thaw when they start absorbing water and their sap is flowing again. It took a while to figure that one out.
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| Pacific tree frogs, a sure sign of spring |
Here is a
link to a short video of some sounds recorded at Yellowstone National Park. Note that the pictures don't necessarily correspond to the sounds. See how many sounds you can figure out!
