Round Mountain Clearing Storm was the result of a November trip to East County San Diego when a storm was clearing.
The mountain is an exclave holding of Anza Borrego Desert State Park. It is volcanic in origin, and quite prominent within the local terrain. Round Mountain is easily seen from Interstate 8.
There is also a United States Flag at the top of the mountain, and I want to climb the peak at some point. I don’t see any trails to the top, and many volcanic peaks are limited for foot traffic due to erosion. It will require a fair amount of further research.
Carrizo Gorge Road is the way to access the mountain. Go too far, and you wind up at a nudist resort. The dirt road is wide enough that you can easily park and set up your composition. I usually make this image more to the West, including the Arizona-Eastern San Diego railway in the foreground. The contrast from the East, with the mountain front-lit, convinced me this was a superior angle on this morning.
While the storm was closing, the clouds evaporated quite quickly. There was almost no cloud cover within 20 minutes of making this image. Weather moves quickly, and is not on a photographer’s schedule!
T.M. Schultze is a San Diego-based photographer, traveller, and writer. He writes, photographs, and draws things of the outdoors that have inspired humans for thousands of years. He co-authored the Photographer’s Guide to Joshua Tree Park which can be purchased here.
