This deep, cold, and clear body of water stretches about a mile across and 15 miles long and is entirely surrounded by steep mountainsides. Its icy waters cool the air immediately above, allowing sound to travel much farther and clearer than normal. Sound waves travel at different speeds depending on the temperature, so the cold, thin air layer that hugs the surface of the lake puts an invisible ceiling on the lakeside amphitheater, enclosing the sound, with remarkable results. Sound echoes back and forth across the lake, connecting everyone and everything.

Gordon Hempton, John Grossmann, One Square Inch of Silence-…, loc. 241