The Mystery of the Disappearing Waterfall

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.

Slushy Michigan rain in December.  Slushy December rain. When you live in Michigan, the weather can be pretty unpredictable. It might be sunny, rainy, and snowy all at the same time. It’s actually been pretty cold and snowy over the last couple of weeks, but during a brief warm-up, nearly everything melted, and it even rained for a day before completely snowing over again.  This recording of surprise winter rain was captured with the BasicUchos and F3 under an umbrella.  These are Outdoor Sounds.

Early winter snowfall taps against lingering autumn leaves, creating a soft, steady white-noise soundscape. This recording is subtle and calming. If you’ve never experienced Michigan, we’re lucky to have all four seasons and a mix of deciduous and evergreen trees. Most years, the leaves are long gone by the time the first real snow arrives—but this year was different. An early snowfall came before the trees had fully let go of their leaves. As the snow fell, tiny pellet-like flakes tapped against the dry, crispy leaves still clinging to the branches in front of my house. It created a sound I don’t often hear: soft, rhythmic, and almost like natural white noise. The snow falls steadily, the leaves barely move, and the entire scene feels hushed and intimate, as if winter and autumn briefly overlapped.  This session was recorded using a Sennheiser shotgun microphone paired with a Zoom F3 digital recorder.  This is Outdoor Sounds.

Evening rush hour heard from the edge of winter woods—traffic, falling snow, and quiet creaks carried through cold air. When you live close to a city, it’s hard to avoid the sound of traffic—especially in winter. With the trees bare and snow covering the ground, sound carries differently, traveling farther and standing out more sharply against the otherwise quiet landscape. Today’s recording captures exactly that feeling. The ambiance of passing cars mixes with the subtle sounds of winter: falling snow, distant creaks from the trees, and the occasional shift of cold air through the branches. There’s something about this combination that feels unmistakably seasonal. The contrast between human movement and natural stillness is a hallmark of Midwest winter evenings, and this recording reflects that meeting point. This session was recorded in ORTF stereo with LOM BasicUchos and a Zoom F3. This is Outdoor Sounds.

A half-frozen winter runoff flowing into the Rogue River—gentle tones of water and ice recorded on a cold Midwest day. The longer I spend listening to nature… the clearer the subtleties become. Winter has fully arrived here in the Midwest, and during a quiet walk through the town of Rockford, Michigan, I went searching for something worth capturing. Near the boardwalk, I came across a small runoff feeding into the Rogue River—partially frozen, partially flowing, and full of delicate textures. What drew me in was the contrast: the steady movement of water beneath and around sheets of ice. If you listen closely, you’ll hear the soft shifting tones created as the current weaves through frozen edges, bubbles under ice, and breaks into open water. It’s a simple scene, but one that holds a surprising amount of detail the more you sit with it. This recording was captured in ORTF stereo using the LOM BasicUchos and a Zoom F3. For the best experience, listen with stereo headphones to catch the spatial movement and subtle character of the winter runoff. This is Outdoor Sounds. Links Rogue River Boardwalk | alltrails.com