‘He’s truly a legend in Alaska and beyond’: Loved ones remember Dick Griffith ahead of AK Sports Hall of Fame induction

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – In June, his life of adventure and innovation will be immortalized in the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame. But on Tuesday, it’s the memories he formed with countless others that earned its moment in the spotlight.

Dick Griffith, a man known for his epic nature exhibitions and an early user of the packraft, was honored at the Anchorage Museum earlier this week. It was a time for friends and family to reminisce about the near-century long outdoorsman.

“It was really moving for me,” former Alaska Mountain and Wilderness Classic runner and longtime friend of Griffith, Roman Dial, said. “I tried just to give a straight description of his life, like a bare bones, and it was hard not to weep a little bit because he meant a lot to me.”

Dial met Griffith in 1982, just before the first ever running of the classic. That interaction led to many lessons.

“I met him when I was at an influential age and he kind of changed my whole perspective about how to travel through the wilderness,” Dial said.

Dial was one of many Griffith appeared to impact in his 98 years on planet Earth. During the two-hour ceremony, which Dial led in organizing, several different individuals took the time to speak about him. Those stories ranged from surviving multiple bear encounters in the Alaska bush to simple meetups at the Eagle River Nature Center, of which Griffith was a big supporter.

Years later, those same people will soon see Griffith’s legacy remembered forever. Speaking with AK Sports HOF Executive Director Harlow Robinson in December, he said the legacy Griffith leaves behind was immense.

‘He’s truly a legend in Alaska and beyond both for his arctic exploration and being the first person to trek the arctic coast of North America and he’s got an amazing history pre-Alaska of white water rafter and river exploration,“ he said. ”He lived to be 98 years old and never slowed down until the end of his life.”

His accomplishments include traversing over 10,000 miles by foot and raft throughout his life. His longest trek, a 4,000-mile journey from Unalakleet to Hudson Bay in Canada, took nearly 12 years and almost a dozen annual trips.

“He imagined things that he would do and then he went and did them,” Dial said. “He didn’t look to see what other people did.”

Now just months out from that and many accomplishments being put in the public eye, Dial said the takeaways from Griffith’s experiences are universal.

“I hope that they take away not just the keep moving idea, but like to build a community and stay in touch with your community and to include people in what you do. But on the other hand, feed your own soul in whatever way it takes. I think he was really good at that,” Dial said.

He was a man remembered for time on the trail and his compassion to those he kept dear.

“He was affectionate, like in his own way. he cared about you,” Dial said. ”I’m not a big believer in the afterlife, but if there is one, you know, he’s up there with a big grin on his face, loving every minute of it.”

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