Amber waves of … Pele's hair?

After completing their work on the rim of Halema‘uma‘u Crater, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists try to stay on pathways to avoid making footsteps in the Pele's hair that blankets the landscape, just as one shies from marring pristine snow. This area has been closed since 2008 due to elevated sulfur dioxide emissions and other ongoing volcanic hazards associated with Kīlauea's summit lava lake. USGS photo.