Outdoor Sounds

Jeff Large
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Nature
  • Updated Weekly

Nature walks for your ears. Improving your work and rest with a new episode every week. 

  1. 2d ago

    Trekking Through a Mile of Melting Snow

    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.

  2. Aug 13

    Woodstove Inside an A-Frame Cabin

    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.

  3. Jan 8

    December Rain

    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.

  4. 12/25/2025

    Falling Snow on Autumn Leaves

    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.

  5. 12/18/2025

    Winter Commutes Home: Rush Hour Through the Trees

    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.

  6. 12/11/2025

    Frozen Winter Runoff

    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

  7. 12/04/2025

    Yardwork 02

    Outdoor Sounds

  8. 11/27/2025

    Yardwork 01

    Outdoor Sounds

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5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Nature walks for your ears. Improving your work and rest with a new episode every week. 

Information

  • Creator
    Jeff Large
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    129
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2023
  • Show Website
    Outdoor Sounds