Listening to Mount Shasta: Travel Through Sound
Driving across the wide plains of Northern California, I could see a snow-covered peak in the distance.
At first, I wasn’t sure it was Mount Shasta, but as I approached, I realised it must be. It was the highest mountain on the horizon, its white summit glowing in the sunlight above the surrounding landscape.
Mount Shasta in Sound
Sound was an important part of how I wanted to share Mount Shasta. The forests, snowmelt, natural springs, streams, birdsong, wind and waterfalls tell their own story and create a sense of place that goes beyond what we can see.
As a musician and audio producer, I’ve always understood the power of sound to create an atmosphere and a sense of place. I spent years working in radio, where there are no images, where sound paints the picture in the listener’s mind.
When I visited, I wanted to bring some of those sounds home so you could experience a little of the mountain, even if you weren’t able to travel there yourself.
Mount Shasta is an awe-inspiring place in northern California. Its snow-covered summit towers above forests of tall pines, freshwater lakes, natural springs, snowmelt streams and waterfalls.
But it was the sense of peace I felt there that I most wanted to capture.
Through Sonic Earth Journeys, I’ve brought together the natural soundscape of Mount Shasta, California, with original music and storytelling, creating an experience that can transport you back to the landscape, wherever you are listening.
You don’t need to stand at the foot of the mountain. Put on your headphones, close your eyes and listen.
From Landscape to Meditation
On my first day visiting Mount Shasta, I drove through an ancient pine forest to Castle Lake, then hiked higher into the mountain through forests and alpine meadows to Little Heart Lake.
The small, heart-shaped lake is nestled high on the mountain above the much larger Castle Lake. Across the water, the snow-capped mountain peak rises above the surrounding landscape.
At Castle Lake, the water was still, like glass, reflecting the surrounding trees and mountains. Honeysuckle flowers lined the shore, a beaver swam near a natural dam, and ducks glided quietly across the water. In summer, it is a beautiful and peaceful place, although it is also popular with walkers and holidaymakers.
These landscapes became the inspiration for my Mount Shasta root chakra meditation.
The connection between Mount Shasta and the root chakra comes from Robert Coon’s Earth Chakra theory, which identifies Mount Shasta as the Root Chakra of the Earth’s energy grid. I wanted to explore this idea through the landscape itself, using the mountain, forests, lakes and flowing water to create a meditation centred on grounding and connection to the Earth.
The music that accompanies the Mount Shasta meditation was created to support that feeling. A low drone provides a deep foundation, while a heartbeat drum represents the steady presence of the mountain. I included natural sounds recorded around Mount Shasta, bringing the forests, water and birdsong into the meditation.
The result is a guided experience that combines the physical landscape with sound, music and imagery, giving you a way to connect with the essence of Mount Shasta, whether you’re standing beside the mountain or listening from somewhere else.
The Mount Shasta Sonic Earth Journey
This Sonic Earth Journey brings together three elements: a 20-minute guided root chakra meditation, a 30-minute immersive soundscape and an explanatory PDF that takes you into the landscape with photos so you can visualise the place.
The meditation uses guided imagery, natural sounds and original music to lead you through the Mount Shasta landscape. You’ll move through the forests and alpine meadows, beside mountain streams and still waters, before connecting with the grounding presence of the mountain itself.
The 30-minute soundscape offers something different, weaving together natural sounds recorded around the mountain, including birds, flowing water and wind. There is no guided voice or music, so you can close your eyes and listen at your own pace.
The accompanying PDF includes photographs from the places that inspired the meditation and offers a visual connection to the landscape.
Both audio experiences are provided as MP3 and WAV files. The MP3 version is ideal for easy listening on your phone, tablet or everyday headphones, while the WAV file provides the highest-quality audio for those who want to experience the recordings in their fullest detail.
I created these elements to work together, but you can use them however you like. Listen to the meditation when you want to feel grounded, spend time with the soundscape when you want to relax, pause and listen, or explore the photographs to reconnect with the places behind the sounds.
You don’t need to have visited Mount Shasta to experience the journey.
My hope is that these sounds, images and stories give you a sense of the mountain, and a quiet space to connect with it, wherever you are.
Listen to the Mountain
Before you explore the full Sonic Earth Journey, take a few minutes to simply listen.
This short excerpt is taken from the 30-minute Mount Shasta soundscape, created from natural sounds I recorded during my time on the mountain: birdsong in the pine forests, flowing water, mountain wind and the quiet atmosphere of the landscape.
There is no narration and no music, just the sounds of Mount Shasta, captured in the forests and around its lakes, streams and springs.
For the best experience, find somewhere quiet, put on your headphones and let the sounds surround you. Close your eyes if you wish, and imagine yourself beneath the tall pines, beside a mountain stream, or looking across still water towards the snow-covered summit.
If you’re travelling, the guided meditation may be a better choice for noisy environments such as airports or flights, where the quieter details of a natural soundscape can be difficult to hear.
For now, pause for a few minutes, take a breath, and listen to the mountain.
Mount Shasta Sonic Earth Journey – Ground & Connect
20-minute guided root chakra meditation + 30-minute binaural natural soundscape + illustrated PDF.
$19.95 AUD
A Quiet Connection to Mount Shasta
The forests, wildflowers, springs, streams and lakes, and above it all, the snow-covered summit of Mount Shasta.
Experiencing a mountain like this alone can be very special. But, as a solo female traveller, I also know that travel can bring moments when you feel anxious and ungrounded, on a flight, sitting alone at an airport, arriving somewhere unfamiliar, or simply feeling nervous about what comes next.
That’s why grounding became central to this Sonic Earth Journey.
You don’t need to be standing beneath Mount Shasta to pause, breathe and reconnect with a sense of steadiness.
Put on your headphones, settle somewhere quiet, and let the mountain come to you.
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