Joshua Tree and the Mohave Yielded Good Photography Results

A recent vacation to Joshua Tree National Park, the Mohave Desert and the Palm Springs area of California provided for some good sky and weather photography opportunities. The panoramic sunset above looks west at 5:25 pm PST on Monday, February 13, 2023 from Kelso-Dunes Road at Kelbaker Road in the Mohave National Preserve.

6:29 am PST, Tuesday, February 14. Sunrise in Joshua Tree National Park.

6:33 am. February 14. The sunrise from a nearby location.

6:42 am. February 14. Sunrise panorama from Joshua Tree National Park.

7:08 am. February 14. Sunrise from Cholla Cactus Gardens in Joshua Tree.

9:00 am PST. February 14. Clouds paint a butte with shadows in Joshua Tree.

9:09 am. Rainbow formed from the line of rain clouds rolling over the background mountains in Joshua Tree.

12:42 pm PST. Tuesday, February 14. Driving into and through a sand squall while northbound on North Indian Canyon Drive near Palm Springs. iPhone 11 video frame captures.

Mount San Jacinto (10,834 feet) is shown spectacularly shrouded in clouds as seen from Dillon Road near Desert Hot Springs, California at 3:07 pm PST, February 14. High winds have also kicked up sand at the base of the mountain.

This is what Mt. San Jacinto looks like on a clear day (following day, February 15).

6:11 am PST, February 15. Sunrise from Joshua Tree National Park.

6:31 am. February 15. Panoramic sunrise view from Keys View overlook in Joshua Tree. Weather conditions here were bitterly cold: temperatures in the lower 20s, with wind chills at or below zero.

6:31 am. February 15. Continuation of panorama toward the south. Mt. San Jacinto can be seen at right center, and the distant 11,503-foot Mount San Gorgonio at far right.

Smaller panorama of same scene.

6:52 am. February 15. Sunrise at Joshua Tree.

10:31 pm PST. February 15. Night panorama from Keys View overlook (5,185 feet), showing Mt. San Jacinto with the lights of Palm Springs, Palm Desert and other towns along its base. Red tinted area at lower right is reflected light from my headlamp. 8 second exposure at f/2.8, ISO 1250, 11mm focal length.

7:43 am PST. Friday, February 17. Sunrise above the Bullion Mountains along North Amboy Road in the eastern Mohave Desert.

7:47 am. February 17. Stratus overcast skies seen while northbound on North Amboy Road in the Mohave Desert.

7:49 am. Looking east along North Amboy Road in the Mohave Desert.

8:39 am PST. February 17. Cirriform clouds shroud the sky behind Amboy Crater. The dormant/extinct volcano is located just south of the old Route 66 in California, and rises 250 feet above the Mohave Desert floor. The volcano is thought to have last erupted some 10,000 years ago.

10:15 am. Sun halo behind Amboy Crater. Nikon D7200 DSLR camera.