Sakhalin Oblast
Severo-Kurilsk
On this chilly morning we continue our journey south. We'll be leaving the Kamchatka Peninsula and the Kamchatka Krai and heading into the Kurils. Off we go!
Luckily nothing exploded overnight.
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Looks like clouds might be a thing today.
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Time to go up I would say.
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That's better.
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The only thing that pokes through the clouds are volcanoes, such as Zheltovsky V.
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This is the end of the line for the peninsula. Across the First Kurilskiy Straight we have our first Kuril Island. The Kurils are numerous but small little islands that turn into Japan at some disputed point.
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This is the Second Kuril Straight. I think the First was more inviting.
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Apparently we're right over the airport. I don't see it, which will be an issue. But not right now. There's a ginormous volcano to go look at.
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It's over these hills.
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And a little ways out into the Sea of Okhotsk.
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This is the Alaid Volcano, also known as Atlasov Island. The volcano rises some 3,000 meters from the sea floor to form the island. It is the tallest and northernmost volcano in the Kurils and given its history of explosive eruptions (it's a stratovolcano) also one of the most active.
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Looks like it's missing a chunk off the top.
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Anyhow, we're pretty much on fumes now.
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So where the heck is the airport?
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Here it is. Turns out 345 feet was not a misprint. Tomorrow we continue travelling down the Kurils, assuming we can take off in 345 feet.
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