20130922StormOregonCoast.flac
by daveincamas
40:07
Download on Freesound
Description
A fairly intense wind and rain storm on a rocky headland along the central Oregon coast. The wind was blowing steadily between 40-60mph, and it overpowers my windscreen quite a bit. Rather than cut out the "bad" parts, I leave it to the Freesound community to extract the pieces they like from the raw recording.
The recording starts with the recorder in my truck, mounted on a tripod. I am parked near a power line, and the wind is making a tremendous whistling sound through the wires. I then leave my truck and hike down a trail through the woods, to the edge of the forest above a rocky coastline, where there are large waves crashing. I leave it there for a while, then walk out of the woods along the exposed cliffs to another spot overlooking a small sea cave which explodes with spray at every big wave. After a while I hike back up the hill to my truck, completely drenched with rain.
Here's a play by play:
00:00 Packing up my camera etc. You can hear the rain on the windshield, and the wind whistling in the power lines overhead.
01:26 I grab the recorder (which is on a tripod) and head closer to the power lines. However the wind overpowers my windscreen. I estimate the wind speed to be at least 45mph at this spot. And it is pouring rain as well.
02:50 I begin hiking down the hill into the trees. You can hear a rhythmic rattling of the tripod as I walk.
04:08 I set up the tripod near the edge of the trees. Unfortunately the wind is just a little to strong for my windscreen. Here are some photos:
Note the windscreen fur being blown to the right:
<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7325/12604416924_1de49b343c_c.jpg" />
Wider view:
<img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3694/12604412274_631132a28b_c.jpg" />
Panorama. Just beyond the trees is a rocky cliff, then the ocean.
<img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5502/12603822134_dee7e1f001_h.jpg" />
Here is the view just beyond the trees:
<img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5478/12603421915_f140a3fcf5_k.jpg" />
180 degree panorama. My camera got soaked taking this photo.
<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7296/12603846424_d8e75b1b0e_k.jpg" />
12:23 I must have blocked the wind with my body, or turned down the gain or something.
20:05 I make a note to myself, saying "I'm going over to the cove".
20:50 You can hear the first big splash from the spray.
21:32 You can hear the wind whipping my rain coat.
21:57 I walk through a brushy area which is somewhat protected from the wind.
23:40 I climb down the rocks out of the wind, just above the sea cave entrance, and set down the tripod:
<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7299/12603900624_2a543486c0_b.jpg" />
You can hear the low "whump" when a wave crashes into the cave entrance.
27:00 A series of fairly large waves crashes into the cave.
27:26 Fairly big wave.
Here is what is happening each time you hear a "whump":
<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7434/12603479715_f4bfbe10bb_z.jpg" />
<img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3800/12603477285_912d791c44_z.jpg" />
<img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3753/12603569393_58caf42279_z.jpg" />
I am standing about 25 feet above the ocean, and the top of the spray is about 25 feet above me - so it rises about 50 feet in total.
<img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3722/12603568473_e6c787350e_z.jpg" />
<img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2872/12603473405_c20047a4f6_c.jpg" />
This was a tremendous wave - note all the water running down the cliffs (compare with the similar photo above). The first recording spot is in the trees in the distance.
<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7377/12603571903_f00646cb78_b.jpg" />
30:17 I say "head back up the hill". Then I decide to hold the tripod out over the cliff for a minute so you can hear the waves better.
31:50 You can hear the wave hit the cave entrance pretty clearly.
32:25 I start hiking back up the hill.
34:29 You can start to hear the wind in the power lines.
37:00 I go back by the power lines, and again the wind overpowers my windscreen.
38:40 Unlock my truck, pausing a bit to record the power lines.
40:00 Remove windscreen
40:07 End
Here are some photos of the same spot taken the previous day:
It looks more precarious than it actually is.
<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7392/12605783714_9df63c385c_b.jpg" />
The waves weren't very big:
<img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3680/12605456273_1cf44fe7aa_c.jpg" />
The cave ceiling is right at sea level, on the right in this photo:
<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7345/12605363875_06428b7020_b.jpg" />
Here is the wave interaction with the cave:
<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7309/12605805674_43a46761fa_b.jpg" />
<img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3729/12605801134_e80157f69d_b.jpg" />
<img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2893/12605368475_a3b5f1df2a_b.jpg" />
<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7361/12605372585_857f00f5bc_b.jpg" />
<img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2894/12605466333_247bfeae55_b.jpg" />
When the conditions are just right (tide, wave height/velocity, etc.), the waves compress air inside the cave, creating a tremendous blast of spray as the wave retreats. It makes a great "whump" sound when this happens.
I will try to get the recordings from 9/21/2013 (when the photos immediately above were taken) posted soon.
The recording starts with the recorder in my truck, mounted on a tripod. I am parked near a power line, and the wind is making a tremendous whistling sound through the wires. I then leave my truck and hike down a trail through the woods, to the edge of the forest above a rocky coastline, where there are large waves crashing. I leave it there for a while, then walk out of the woods along the exposed cliffs to another spot overlooking a small sea cave which explodes with spray at every big wave. After a while I hike back up the hill to my truck, completely drenched with rain.
Here's a play by play:
00:00 Packing up my camera etc. You can hear the rain on the windshield, and the wind whistling in the power lines overhead.
01:26 I grab the recorder (which is on a tripod) and head closer to the power lines. However the wind overpowers my windscreen. I estimate the wind speed to be at least 45mph at this spot. And it is pouring rain as well.
02:50 I begin hiking down the hill into the trees. You can hear a rhythmic rattling of the tripod as I walk.
04:08 I set up the tripod near the edge of the trees. Unfortunately the wind is just a little to strong for my windscreen. Here are some photos:
Note the windscreen fur being blown to the right:
<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7325/12604416924_1de49b343c_c.jpg" />
Wider view:
<img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3694/12604412274_631132a28b_c.jpg" />
Panorama. Just beyond the trees is a rocky cliff, then the ocean.
<img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5502/12603822134_dee7e1f001_h.jpg" />
Here is the view just beyond the trees:
<img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5478/12603421915_f140a3fcf5_k.jpg" />
180 degree panorama. My camera got soaked taking this photo.
<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7296/12603846424_d8e75b1b0e_k.jpg" />
12:23 I must have blocked the wind with my body, or turned down the gain or something.
20:05 I make a note to myself, saying "I'm going over to the cove".
20:50 You can hear the first big splash from the spray.
21:32 You can hear the wind whipping my rain coat.
21:57 I walk through a brushy area which is somewhat protected from the wind.
23:40 I climb down the rocks out of the wind, just above the sea cave entrance, and set down the tripod:
<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7299/12603900624_2a543486c0_b.jpg" />
You can hear the low "whump" when a wave crashes into the cave entrance.
27:00 A series of fairly large waves crashes into the cave.
27:26 Fairly big wave.
Here is what is happening each time you hear a "whump":
<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7434/12603479715_f4bfbe10bb_z.jpg" />
<img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3800/12603477285_912d791c44_z.jpg" />
<img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3753/12603569393_58caf42279_z.jpg" />
I am standing about 25 feet above the ocean, and the top of the spray is about 25 feet above me - so it rises about 50 feet in total.
<img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3722/12603568473_e6c787350e_z.jpg" />
<img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2872/12603473405_c20047a4f6_c.jpg" />
This was a tremendous wave - note all the water running down the cliffs (compare with the similar photo above). The first recording spot is in the trees in the distance.
<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7377/12603571903_f00646cb78_b.jpg" />
30:17 I say "head back up the hill". Then I decide to hold the tripod out over the cliff for a minute so you can hear the waves better.
31:50 You can hear the wave hit the cave entrance pretty clearly.
32:25 I start hiking back up the hill.
34:29 You can start to hear the wind in the power lines.
37:00 I go back by the power lines, and again the wind overpowers my windscreen.
38:40 Unlock my truck, pausing a bit to record the power lines.
40:00 Remove windscreen
40:07 End
Here are some photos of the same spot taken the previous day:
It looks more precarious than it actually is.
<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7392/12605783714_9df63c385c_b.jpg" />
The waves weren't very big:
<img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3680/12605456273_1cf44fe7aa_c.jpg" />
The cave ceiling is right at sea level, on the right in this photo:
<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7345/12605363875_06428b7020_b.jpg" />
Here is the wave interaction with the cave:
<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7309/12605805674_43a46761fa_b.jpg" />
<img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3729/12605801134_e80157f69d_b.jpg" />
<img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2893/12605368475_a3b5f1df2a_b.jpg" />
<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7361/12605372585_857f00f5bc_b.jpg" />
<img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2894/12605466333_247bfeae55_b.jpg" />
When the conditions are just right (tide, wave height/velocity, etc.), the waves compress air inside the cave, creating a tremendous blast of spray as the wave retreats. It makes a great "whump" sound when this happens.
I will try to get the recordings from 9/21/2013 (when the photos immediately above were taken) posted soon.
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