Back to Petropavlovsk...

today in order to exchange passengers for the second leg of our expedition cruise along the northern Ring of Fire. Passengers that will continue on the voyage explored the local fish market where smoked salmon was being sold:

Later in the afternoon we traveled north from town, deep into a birch forest, where we were entertained by Alexi, a self-proclaimed herbalist. He shared his knowledge of local native plants and regaled us with song as he smoked fresh salmon to share with us:

I've forgotten how many shots of vodka we tossed back with this cheerful fellow, but our visit ended entirely too soon as we made our way back through the city at the foot of several imposing volcanoes:

A rainbow at dawn...

was a good sign that this was going to be a terrific day:

We dropped anchor at the mouth of the Zhupanova River as the Kronotsky volcano erupted ash in pulses throughout the day to the north:

The best time of day is the morning reconnaissance, when the guide staff go onshore and investigate the landing site and decide which hikes are appropriate. It's precious time alone in a wilderness, and here's a shot of the Clipper Odyssey from my vantage point on a high cape:

Later in the morning, we lead our groups of passengers across the terrain to share the wonderful experience:

Once cleared to enter Russia...

we made our way to a dog mushing compound where we spent the late afternoon on evening nature walks, had a traditional Russian meal (washed down with copious quantities of vodka) and entertained by a young troupe that demonstrated early native dances:

While this was going on I managed a few shots of two massive volcanoes emerging from the clearing clouds:

Yes, that's an actively steaming summit:

Avacha Bay...

is a caldera, with the Pleistocene-age Vilyuchik stratovolcano within view to the south:

The industrial port city of Petropavlovsk lays in the shadow of Avachinsky, one of Kamchatka's most active volcanoes, last erupting in 2001:

Despite the friendly welcome sign at the dock, we are now undergoing a several hour "documents" clearance by government officials for entry into Russia:

Comrade Lenin casts his gaze across the bay while we patiently await permission to go on shore:

Russia looms dead ahead...

with the Koryaksky stratovolcano (11,388 ft high) marking our intended port of call, Kamchatka's largest city, Petropavlovsk.

Heavy seas...

confronted us as we made our way on a westward course from the Aleutians to the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia, made worse by stiff headwinds. Many of the passengers were seasick, but I passed the time on the bridge, watching waves break over the bow and strike the windows on the bridge.

The bloodiest battle in the Aleutians...

was fought on Attu Island in 1943. A U.S. Coast Guard station is located there today, and we explored the area of intense fighting sticking to existing roads framed with coastal paintbrush and wild iris:

Here's an image of Terrible Mountain that sits above Massacre Valley, where you can see the locations of former Japanese gun emplacements:

Here's a shot inside an old Japanese bunker, and that peculiar object seen through the doorway is a memorial to the fallen:

This is why we stuck to the roads, mindful of the cautionary poster seen on Adak about unexploded ordinance:

Sirius Point was created by lava flows...

emanating from Kiska volcano:

The columnar jointed basalt flows were created in 1962:

This area is home to thousands of least auklets who take flight in enormous flocks as they set out to sea to feed:

War relicts at Kiska...

include this sunken Japanese supply ship:

This electric mini-sub was destroyed while it sat in dry dock:

Kiska Island...

was occupied by Japanese forces in World War II, but they retreated in advance of U.S. bombing raids. A beautiful sunrise greeted our arrival as some of the staff headed ashore for a reconnaissance:

I was fascinated by the cross-bedded volcaniclastic deposits in the sea cliffs, likely the result of a nuee ardente:

We led small groups of curious passengers through some of the Japanese fortifications, and here's a bunker that received a direct hit by a U.S. bomb:

The black sand beaches are exquisite, but the ripped up tundra has been slow to recover from the numerous bombing raids:

Great Sitkin Island...

rises abruptly from the Bering Sea and provided a scenic view as we departed Adak harbor. It last erupted in 1974.

And, yes, the sun does shine (now and then) in the Aleutians. Here's my shadow as proof:

And here's a shot of Kanaga volcano - occasionally spurting some steam - off the port side of the ship as we continue our journey along this volcanic archipelago:

Adak Station...

was built by U.S. forces to confront the Japanese invasion of the outer Aleutian Islands of Kiska and Attu in 1943. Today it is a ghost base, but there are still many reminders of the various groups who served time in this remote outpost:

The last remaining personnel were removed from the base in 1997, abandoning various top secret signals intelligence and listening posts that were used during the Cold War:

The island has been returned to about 300 native Aleuts, but there are cautionary signs everywhere:

This one is especially disconcerting:

One interesting note about this visit: a 6.4 magnitude earthquake occurred here just a handful of hours before our arrival. Dang.

Basaltic sea cliffs...

on Saint Paul Island provide abundant ledges for a variety of shorebirds, a situation referred to as "favorable geology" by the birders on this adventure:

Here are a couple of clownish tufted puffins:

And a crested auklet:

And let's not forget these two parakeet auklets:

Saint Paul Island in the Pribilofs...

is home to a small community of Aleut natives, with a volcanic cinder cone looming over the tiny village (with last eruptions about 3,200 years ago):

This island is also home to hundreds of thousands of fur seals, and here's a male and his harem and some pups:

Two young male fur seals are sparring:

While this fur seal relaxes in the grass:

Saint George Island...

rises abruptly from the Bering Sea, and is the southernmost volcanic island in the Pribilof group:

There is a small community established on the island, originally founded by Russian fur seal hunters. Note the Russian Orthodox church on the left, and a number of fur seals relaxing in the tundra grass:

Here's a red-legged kittewake:

And a couple of thick-billed murres: