Pacific Crest Trail Thru-Hiker Creates Immersive Audio Map of Nature’s Symphony

Published October 23, 2026 02:14PM

On any hike, the instinct to pause, close your eyes, and absorb the ambient symphony of nature is a universal human experience. The gentle rustling of leaves in the breeze, the rhythmic lapping of water against a serene lakeshore, the distinct call of a distant bird – these are the auditory markers that deepen our connection to the wild. For Tom Kelly, a 41-year-old Angeleno, this inclination to listen was not just a casual pause during his 2023 thru-hike of the iconic Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), but a dedicated pursuit. While many trekkers document their arduous journeys through journals, blogs, or photographs, Kelly embarked on a more unconventional path, meticulously capturing the sonic tapestry of the PCT using a carefully chosen array of microphones and handheld recorders. Two years of dedicated editing have culminated in a remarkable free, publicly accessible sound map, featuring 200 distinct audio points meticulously cataloged along the trail. This ambitious project offers listeners an unparalleled opportunity to experience the PCT not through visual imagery, but through its evocative and diverse soundscapes.

The immersive experience begins with the very first audio file, aptly titled "la posta creek cliff swallows." This entry immediately plunges the listener into a vivid sonic scene, where the energetic chittering of cliff swallows is subtly underscored by the distant hum of passing cars, a poignant reminder of the encroaching human world even within this natural setting. Another compelling recording, "insects at dusk," masterfully captures the piercing chirps of nocturnal insects, a sound that defines the transition from day to night in many natural environments. These initial glimpses are just a prelude to a rich collection that includes the babbling of rushing water, the dry rustle of grass underfoot, the industrious buzz of bees, the territorial calls of quails, and the ever-present symphony of various insect life that orchestrates the soundtrack of the wilderness.

Each audio entry on Kelly’s sound map is accompanied by his insightful field notes, providing a multi-layered context to the recorded sounds. These notes detail the specific recording gear he employed, his personal observations of the environment, and even the emotional or sensory experiences he was undergoing at the precise moment of capture. For a nearly six-minute clip emanating from the edge of the San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm in California’s Coachella Valley, a location he reached in May 2023, Kelly vividly describes a scene dominated by intense wind, the abrasive grit of blowing sand, and the distant passage of fellow hikers. He writes, "finally got to the windfarm and recording a pct landmark. sitting in the colorado desert having just descended from the snowy san jacintos. it is hot, windy, exposed, and i’m getting absolutely sandblasted. hikers passing by as i record the ominous drones of the palm springs windfarm." This powerful narrative underscores the inherent challenges of capturing pure natural soundscapes in an increasingly human-influenced world, while simultaneously painting a visceral picture of the physical and environmental conditions.

Another particularly poignant recording, titled "great-horned owl," features the haunting call of this elusive nocturnal predator. Captured in October 2023 within the vast expanse of Northern California’s Plumas National Forest, Kelly’s field notes reveal a deeply personal and profound encounter. He describes it as "maybe my favorite recording of the trek." His notes continue, "i ended the recording just before the male showed up due to core temp concerns. an incredibly tender dialog ensued between the two of them. i’ll never forget just how excited the female was when the male showed up. heartbreakingly beautiful. a nat geo moment." This anecdote highlights Kelly’s dedication to not only documenting sound but also to preserving the sanctity of natural interactions, even at the cost of a potentially more complete recording.

A Lifelong Listener

Kelly’s profound attentiveness to the auditory world is a trait that traces back to his childhood in Wisconsin. He vividly recalls a specific late afternoon spent in his parents’ backyard, engrossed in the gentle cooing of mourning doves while sitting in a sandbox. Music also sparked an early fascination, with his childhood experiments on a toy keytar producing an array of "weird sounds" that foreshadowed his later artistic pursuits. This early exploration of sound led him to formally study music composition at Columbia College Chicago, where he continued to develop his craft. His initial foray into using audio recorders for travel occurred during a trip to Istanbul, where he began to document his experiences in a new sonic dimension.

"I was like, this could be cool because I can immerse myself in these spaces in a way that you can’t with photography or taking videos on your phone," Kelly explains, reflecting on the unique power of audio. "You can close your eyes, put on a soundscape, and kind of be transported back there." This realization marked a pivotal moment, shifting his perspective on how experiences could be captured and revisited.

Following his graduation from the music composition program in 2018, Kelly felt a strong pull towards extended time outdoors, a deliberate departure from the confines of a studio and desk. His initial backpacking adventure was a three- to four-day excursion on Minnesota’s Superior Hiking Trail. A subsequent visit to Yosemite National Park in 2019 ignited a dream to tackle the PCT, and he successfully secured a permit for 2020. However, the global pandemic unfortunately necessitated a postponement of his ambitious plans.

Instead, Kelly redirected his outdoor aspirations to the rugged beauty of Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains and completed another thru-hike of the Superior Hiking Trail over three weeks. Both of these expeditions were accompanied by his trusty audio recorder, further solidifying his commitment to sonic documentation. After a year of primarily indoor work in 2022, Kelly reached a personal threshold, prompting him to resign from his job and finally embark on his long-anticipated PCT thru-hike in 2023. The decision to pack along his recording equipment was, by this point, an inevitable extension of his passion and purpose.

Conserving Nature’s Sounds

Kelly’s initial intentions for his PCT recordings were broad, focused on capturing the most authentic and natural soundscapes the trail had to offer, with a particular emphasis on minimizing human-generated noise. This priority aligns directly with the concerns of soundscape conservationists, who increasingly recognize natural silence as a precious and dwindling resource in our modern world. However, the reality of the PCT, even in its most remote stretches, presented a constant challenge. The pervasive presence of aircraft, vehicles, and other hikers frequently intruded upon the desired natural quiet, making the capture of pristine recordings a significant endeavor.

"I quickly realized that even though you’re on the Pacific Crest Trail in these very remote places, there’s a lot of human presence within earshot everywhere," Kelly admits. "There are so many airports along the West Coast that it becomes a logistical nightmare to try and really significantly alter how you’re traveling in order to record natural soundscapes." This observation underscores the pervasive impact of human activity on even the most celebrated wilderness areas.

Beyond the challenge of finding quiet, the practicalities of long-distance hiking presented further hurdles. The act of stopping to record, and then re-engaging with the demanding rhythm of a thru-hike, could disrupt his momentum. Kelly found that sessions longer than 30 minutes often triggered a recovery mode in his body, making sustained recording efforts difficult. On some days, the imperative to make up miles meant he had to bypass potentially interesting sonic moments. Conversely, other times he would dedicate time to recording only to find the resulting audio less than satisfactory, a testament to the unpredictable nature of capturing sound in the wild.

The evolution of his recording equipment was another integral part of his journey. Two planned breaks from the trail provided him with opportunities to reassess and refine his setup. He began his trek with a Sony a10 handheld recorder and compact LOM mikroUsi microphones. By the end of his journey, his final loadout included a high-quality microphone paired with a makeshift windshield and a Zoom F3 field recorder, all efficiently carried in a Cotopaxi 1.5L hip pack. This iterative process of equipment adjustment reflects his dedication to optimizing his ability to capture the best possible audio.

Ultimately, the 200 recordings that comprise Kelly’s sound map, carefully culled from an initial collection of 350 recordings totaling approximately 50 hours, represent a nuanced blend of pristine natural soundscapes and clips that undeniably feature human presence. The inclusion of recordings like the wind farm outside Tehachapi, California, acknowledges the complex reality of these landscapes. This approach allows Kelly’s body of work to strike a delicate balance between advocating for soundscape conservation and presenting a more comprehensive and authentic portrait of the trail experience. By embracing the presence of human sounds, the project offers listeners a more multifaceted and relatable experience of wilderness, moving beyond an idealized, untouched version.

"I just want to create a nice experience, and there’s something for everybody in there," Kelly states, emphasizing his desire to make the sound map a welcoming and accessible resource for all.

For Kelly, the entire project served as a powerful method of removing himself from the narrative. It was a literal act of stepping out of the frame, but also a deliberate break from a culture that often prioritizes self-documentation and the elevation of individual experiences. The months spent immersed in recording nature became both an act of "political resistance" against the constant demand for self-expression and a form of profound "personal therapy," offering solace and introspection.

As he ventured deeper into the PCT, Kelly found himself increasingly attuned to nature’s inherent rhythms, syncing with its "glacial pace" rather than the frenetic tempo of modern society. The world around him grew quieter, more spacious, and delightfully minimal. Freed from the usual demands on his attention, he began to perceive subtle sounds that would typically fade into the background of everyday life – the delicate staccato of a meandering creek, the gentle flutter of leaves in a passing breeze.

Through this meticulously curated sound map, Kelly hopes to share the profound feeling of being on the trail with a wide audience. Whether individuals are actively experiencing the PCT, are currently navigating its paths, or yearn to reconnect with its spirit, Kelly’s project offers an auditory portal. "You don’t even have to put your email address in as a cost," Kelly emphasizes, highlighting the project’s commitment to user privacy and accessibility. "There are no cookies. There’s no tracking. It’s just a space for you to show up and explore and create your own playlist of nature sounds if you want." This dedication to a pure, unadulterated listening experience underscores the project’s ultimate goal: to foster a deeper, more intimate connection with the natural world through the power of sound.