High deserts are also called rain shadow deserts, and also semiarid deserts:
Rain shadow deserts are formed because tall mountain ranges prevent moisture-rich clouds from reaching areas on the lee, or protected side, of the range. As air rises over the mountain, water is precipitated and the air loses its moisture content. A desert is formed in the leeside "shadow" of the range. An example is the Judean Desert in Israel/Palestine or the Antelope Valley portion of the Mojave Desert, also called the High Desert, in southern California, or the high desert in Eastern Oregon.
High Desert soils are either sandy loam or loamy sand by definition
Loam is a type of rich, crumbly soil that contains an almost equal amount of sand and silt, plus a smaller amount of clay (it contains from 28 to 50% silt, less than 52% sand, and 7 to 27% clay). LOBED A lobed leaf is one in which the margin is divided into rounded or pointed sections and the incisions (cuts) go less than halfway to the midrib. LOESS Loess is the term for soil particles that have been moved to another location by the wind.