Jan. 7, 2008 - Desert Rainbow, Red Rock Canyon

Canon 5D, 24 - 105 mm f/4L IS @ 67 mm, f/14, 1/80 sec., ISO 200

The same storm that pummeled the west coast and northern Nevada over the weekend also brushed the Las Vegas area. Here, it brought a small amount of rain, some mountain snow, high winds, and clouds. In Red Rock Canyon, wind gusts were clocked at 55 mph.

While today was much calmer, mother nature still put on a bit of a show for anyone who cared to watch. Most of the area was bathed in sunlight, but heavy clouds seemed intent on obscuring the surrounding hills. What fascinates me is that the clouds rarely move past the cliffs - they just hang there, apparently fearful of venturing into the valley beyond.

The western hills that border Red Rock were cloud covered most of the day, with mist and rain spilling down the steep cliffs. So I spent a little time in Pine Creek Canyon, an area that allowed me to get much closer to the edge of those cliffs. But it wasn't until I walked up the trail out of Pine Creek that I saw this rainbow forming against the dark clouds in the background.