On my June road trip from southern Arizona to northern Nevada, I made a stop just southwest of Ely, Nevada. Ely is surrounded by interesting mountain ranges, such as the Egan, Schell Creek, and Snake Ranges, some of which I’ve written about in previous posts. On this trip I picked the White Pine Range to […]
Wild horses in the Great Basin Read More »
It’s a sad irony that one of our most important senses, hearing, is so taken for granted. So much information about the world around us comes in through our ears, but we place such precedence on what comes through our eyes. We are very visual creatures, granted, with an ability to see color and detail,
“What are you going to do with those recordings?” Read More »
Close to the US-Mexico border, where New Mexico and Arizona meet Chihuahua and Sonora, lies one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. More than a dozen small mountain ranges rise from the surrounding desert, and are often referred to as “Sky Islands”, as their forested slopes appear to be islands in a sea of grassland and
Just east of Tucson, a collection of small creeks come together to form Pantano Wash, which winds its way through Tucson before eventually joining the Gila River, which flows across the state to the Colorado River. Most of these little creeks only flow during summer floods or occasionally during a wet winter. However, one of
Where the water ends Read More »
As winter fades to spring here in the Sonoran Desert, the evenings have been punctuated with the calls of Great Horned Owls. I’ve tried a couple of times to record them, but their voices are often drowned out by the barking dogs and vehicles. But a few nights ago, I heard a pair calling loudly
The monsoon season in southeastern Arizona extends from early July to late September, and usually means hot and humid weather with frequent thunderstorms. The thunderstorms seem to be the definition of chaotic systems, so you never quite know where they will appear or how much rain they will produce. This rainy season, an extension of
Monsoon Rearrangements Read More »
On my return trip from northern Nevada this summer, I made a stop in Yankee Meadow, just north of Brian Head Ski Area in Utah. From Parowan, we headed east, winding up a lovely canyon and passing some beautiful and dramatic red cliffs, which were sitting on a thick layer of blue-gray rock that looked
Dawn at Yankee Meadow Read More »
On my recent trip to Nevada, I spent a few quiet mornings along the Carson River, just outside of Carson City. The river was pretty low for this time of year, reflecting the low snowfall in the Sierras last winter. But during the hot spell that hit the area in July, the mornings on the
Lazy morning on the Carson River Read More »
I discovered another of Nevada’s hidden gems recently. In early July, I traveled from southern Arizona to northern Nevada, dodging wildfires and thunderstorms, and ended up in a lovely little canyon in the Toquima Range. Not far from the geographical center of Nevada, Pine Creek Campground is a gateway to the 11,000 foot crest of
I just finished reading Gordon Hempton and John Grossman’s book, One Square Inch of Silence, about Hemptons’ attempt to preserve the quiet of the Hoh rainforest in Olympic National Park, Washington. Hempton is an Emmy-winning nature recordist (yes, it’s possible!) who has traveled the world seeking not only natural sounds, but quiet landscapes. Three trips
The Search for Quiet Read More »
In my many years of wandering around the mountains, I’ve come across a few canyons where the echoes sound distinctly like human voices, in conversation, somewhere else in the canyon. No one is there, it’s just the reflections of the gurgles of the creek, usually. I’ve run into this sensation along Eagle Creek in Wyoming,
Around the world, during the warmer months, the beginning of the day is heralded by bird melodies. But in addition to being wonderful alarm clocks, the dawn chorus reflects how birds have adapted their singing to both ambient conditions and interspecific competition. Most bird song is for territory defense and attracting mates (female birds often
The Dynamic Dawn Chorus Read More »
