This is Silex Spring. The down wind trees are covered with rime ice from the steam.

Trees killed by the runoff from the hot springs. Note the white at the bottom of the trees. Caused by capillary action pulling minerals up into the dead trunks. These are called Bobby Sox Trees.

A close-up of some of those Bobby Sox Tree trunks.

An older tree with worm holes, bark sloughed off.

Someone's home.

Hot water runnaway from the Silex hot spring. Mineral deposits and bacteria colonies provide color.

Here the water from the hot spring bubbles right out from under the snow. No. I don't entirely understand this either.

Snow pillows shaped by the runoff of Silex hot spring.

The sun shining on the ripples in the runoff makes interesting patterns.

More patterns in the runoff. There is a layer of water running over this if you look close. Also, note the hoof prints. They are buffalo.

The runoff eventually cools enough that it does not melt the snow.

Here the bacteria mat is green. This is probably a different species of bacteria because the temperature is different and the mineral content is different. This may be only a few feet from a wildly different bacteria species in the same runoff stream.

A real good picture of buffalo tracks in the hot spring runoff. Occasionally a buffalo is injured or killed by falling through the crust of a thermal feature.

Another view of Silex Spring and the rime ice.

Detail of that runoff.

And a wide angle view.

Note the varied colors in the runoff. All are created by different bacteria mats.

Very colorful runoff going right under one of the walkways.

I never tire of examing these abstract runoff patterns.

Some hardy grass in this runoff.