Unique Gifts

If you're still on the hunt for a unique gift -- and who isn't -- check out the beautiful rings and necklaces created by our good friend Leah Kangas Jurek.

Leah, of course, is the artist responsible for those gorgeous hand-carved block prints that all Cascade Crest finishers received in recent years.

Leah's jewelry is handmade from a variety of natural materials, including metal, leather, and wool, silk, bamboo and cotton fibers, the latter of which are massaged together in a process known as felting, aka the oldest-known form of fabric-making. You can now find Leah's jewelry at the Seattle boutiques KOBO on Capitol Hill, Bitters Co. in Fremont, and Juniper in Madrona. Out-of-towners can also contact her via her website.

For the Ultrarunner on Your List

The Tribute to the Trails 2010 Calendar makes a perfect holiday gift for the active or aspiring ultrarunner on your list. The calendar features twelve months of Glenn Tachiyama's beautiful trail photography and a handy ultramarathon schedule for the Pacific Northwest and Western U.S. -- very helpful for making next year's training and racing plans. Plus, all profits go to the Washington Trails Association, a group that protects and enhances trails statewide, including some of the Cascade Crest 100 course.

Purchase calendars for $20 in person or online at the Seattle Running Company; Rogue Valley Runners in Ashland, Ore.; and Zombie Runner in Palo Alto, Cal.; and in person at the Balanced Athlete in Kent, Wash.; Everyday Athlete in Kirkland, Wash.; Fairhaven Runners in Bellingham, Wash.; Fit Right Northwest Walking and Running in Vancouver, Wash. and Portland, Ore.; and Fleet Feet in Bend, Ore. And become a fan on Facebook, if you're so inclined.

UPDATE: Glenn tells me that the calendar raised an amazing $15,000 for WTA last year and more than $35,000 since 2006. Thanks for supporting those who support us.

Rain Shadow Running

Check out James Varner and Alison Hanks' snazzy new blog, Rain Shadow Running, a resource for Methow Valley trail runners and a great way to stay up to date on the half-dozen Washington state ultras that James and Alison will direct in 2009. The year's first races are the Orcas Island 25K and 50K on Saturday February 7, 2009, two great races on an absolutely beautiful course with lots of uphill and downhill. And bonus, they're perfect timing if you're looking to gauge how training is going right before registration for the Cascade Crest 100 opens on Monday, February 9, 2009.

Jurek Wins Spartathalon

Our good friend Scott Jurek has won the 2008 Spartathalon for the third consecutive year, in a time of 22:20:01. Congratulations, Scott! We look forward to seeing pictures and hearing the stories.

Preview

We threw a big party for the Cascade Crest volunteers this weekend and for the festivities I put together a slide show culled from thousands of pics taken all over the course. While we work on getting posted either here or on the race website, I thought I'd put up one of my favorite pictures, of Idahoans Jodi and Dennis Aslett as they crossed the finish line.

Unofficial Word on Baker Lake 50K

We're hearing that James Varner won today's Baker Lake 50K in 4:07, which sounds like a new course record. James, who looks faster and stronger with every race that he runs, is also the guy who pulled an all-nighter to aid runners coming through No Name Ridge at Cascade Crest this year.

Big congratulations to James and to all of the Baker Lake runners including long time Cascade Crest runner and volunteer Marlis de Jongh, above, who ran like a champ and was waiting at the finish line with beer in hand for our good friend Sam Warren. Sam broke his neck in a climbing accident and was temporarily paralyzed a couple years ago, not very long after running his first ultra. That ultra was Baker Lake. He's been through much rehab and training since, and it's great to know that he's back on the trails again. Photo by John Pearch.

The Guy Behind the Lens

Glenn Tachiyama is heading to Greece to shoot his speedy pals Lisa Bliss and Scott Jurek, the latter of whom is chasing three in a row at the Spartathalon. Could one of Glenn's photographs become the next cover of a glossy you know and love? The odds would seem strong. It's a good chance to mention just how much of a contribution Glenn makes to the sport of ultrarunning here in the Pacific Northwest. For starters, we wonder whether Cascade Crest would have gotten so popular so fast without his pics, which help keep the story alive long afterwards. Good old Glenn says that he just takes pictures to document and share the chapters in his life with his family and friends, and I don't think he's being falsely modest. But I also don't think it's overreaching to say that Glenn's pictures have become an important piece of the history and memory of the sport. We just can't recognize this guy enough.

Angeles Crest 100

AC100 has a very slick system to track runners on the web and this year there were a few familiar Cascade Crest names in the results. Seattleite Justin Angle, who paced past two CCC winners, came in third. Pat Ackley, who made bacon a food group while captaining the French Cabin aid station, put his Western States training to good use and finished. Coming in a bit after Pat was his friend Victor Zamudio who did not make it up to Cascade Crest this year but who was a huge help at the race in 2007. Congratulations to Justin, Pat, Victor and all of the other AC finishers!

By the way, the state of Oregon cleaned up once again in a high profile California ultra. Hal Koerner and Prudence L'Heureux took top honors and both ran the 2nd or 3rd fastest times ever.

Back on the Trail

How sweet was it being back on the trails yesterday? For months we've been out there with a specific mission, like scouting the course or training for a race. Not that those runs don't have their own interest. But this time we were there just to be among the towering cedars, to breathe the cold fresh air. We hit Melakwa Lake first thing in the morning, pointed ourselves towards the Tuscohatchies, then climbed up and past Pratt Lake on an invigorating 14-mile point-to-point that's due east of the Cascade Crest course. With us were prior finishers Jenny Uehisa ('07), and Marlis DeJongh ('05), who helped out at this year's Snowshoe Butte aid station. Nothing like being in the mountains just to be in the mountains. Check out Cheri Gillis' Fifty Trail Runs in Washington for details on this run, plus a few good ones that get onto the Cascade Crest course.

Finisher Awards

This year's finishers received a buckle as well as a numbered block print carved and rolled by our good friend Leah Jurek. All the more reason to get to that finish line! The print is the second in a series Leah's producing for the race. Leah is an artist, ultrarunner, and massage therapist from Seattle, and we're thrilled to feature her beautiful work.