Snezhkov Bay

Snezhkov Bay (Bukhta Snezhkova) is the largest bay on the Pacific side of Shikotan Island, in the Yuzhno-Kurilsky municipal district of Sakhalin Oblast. Shikotan belongs to the Lesser Kuril Chain, the southernmost part of the Kuril Islands, and the bay opens onto the open Pacific Ocean. Because of its remoteness and the demanding foot approach, the bay is visited rarely, mostly by travelers who have already spent time on Shikotan.

Nature

Two small islands rise within the bay: Sredny Island, 42 meters high, and Dalny Island, 62 meters high, standing near the bay's southern entrance cape. The shores are covered with stone-birch forest typical of the southern Kurils, and hilly stretches hold patches of juniper thickets. Coastal cliffs still show a trace of the 1994 earthquake — a seismic fault about 15 meters deep, a reminder that the Kuril chain remains one of the most seismically active zones of the Russian Far East. Agates can be found in the hardened volcanic lava that makes up the bay's coastline, another reason the place draws geology and mineral enthusiasts.

History

Sources do not state the exact origin of the bay's name. According to one version, it was named after a military surveyor who mapped Shikotan Island in 1946, shortly after the Kuril Islands became part of the USSR following the Second World War. Available sources mention no other version of the name's origin, so the question remains open.

Getting there

The route to Snezhkov Bay starts from the village of Krabozavodskoye on Shikotan Island. The first roughly 3 km can be covered by car on a dirt road, after which the road turns into a foot trail. The length of the foot route to the bay is about 14-19 km, taking around 7 hours on the way. The trail crosses stream ravines and boggy stretches, with an elevation change of up to 200 meters along the way, so the hike suits only travelers experienced in multi-day treks with suitable gear.