Scott Grierson aka Maineak talks 1991 Appalachian trail fastest known time attempt

Scott wrote this bio...

Scott Grierson

Age 53

Grew up in a modern log cabin in Bass Harbor Maine and still live adjacent to the Family Land.

Grew up as country boy fishing, shooting rats, raising rabbits, pigs, playing in the woods, etc.... The son of educated parents and naturalist and adventurer father Stanley O Grierson.

Spent my senior year of high school as a foreign exchange student in Peru. After that went back several times in 85, 86, 87 while also dabbling in college..Spent big blocks of time in Peru 94-2004.

First AT through hike started spring of 1988. Turned 21 on the Trail. Previously had read a book called Walk Across America by Peter Jenkins as a kid. Was talking about that with a buddy winter 88 and he mentioned the AT which I hadn’t heard of before. About a month or so later I was off for Springer Mountain. I learned quickly and was a strong hiker and would sometimes do big days like the whole State of Connecticut in a day, over 50 miles. .

First thru hike took 6 1⁄2 months and came easy to me.

Did another 1,500 AT miles in 89 which I eventually pulled together in sections by 1994. Speed Hike was in 1991. 55 days 20 hours and 34 minutes. I have walked the entire AT as a purist by the white blazes three times, several other sections some multiple times and have knocked out more that 10,000 miles of backpacking around the world over the years.

I wanted to really challenge myself after the first AT time Sought a life and death struggle with a beast. I showed myself and the world at that time that I was who I thought I was.

After that and getting to know David Horton, ended up trying ultras. Did well with that too and finished over 15 of them including the Hard Rock 100.

Have spent long periods of time in the Peruvian jungle where I met my wife and the future mother of our sons in a little village along the Upper Amazon. Have guided in Peru and led an expedition over the interfluvial divide between Peru and Brazil hacking our way across truly wild rain forest with machetes and then built our own canoes to paddle out to Brazil. Taken my family on adventures like paddling from one side of the Everglades to the other, sections of the AT in winter when our oldest were 4 and 6 and most recently spent 6 months on the 3,000 Kilometer Te Araroa Adventure Route in New Zealand.

For fun we go camping here in Maine all season sometimes in survival mode living off the land, building our shelters, harvesting wild game, clamming, snow caves, etc...

One of my goals as a young person and still to be honed to this day is to be a “Great Outdoorsman”. That is the pinnacle of outdoor competency to me and it is all about being one with nature and the natural world. I am more comfortable eating grubs and beetles in a thatched roof hut or sleeping on a frozen lake than I would be in a white painted apartment or office somewhere.

To me knowing how far or fast I or someone can cover ground is no different than a coyote or other wild animal knowing the same. What is my range in the backcountry?, how fast can that terrain be covered?, how much food do I need?, how long can I stay out? That is part of being a great outdoorsman. Everyone challenges themselves on a hill, mountain, section of trail, etc.... Knowing what each of us can do in the narrow aspect of how fast one can cover huge distances in the wilds is personally and collectively of value.

Moving fast through the mountains is but one component and aspect of being a skilled outdoorsman. I work on many skills. Wild food harvesting, survival, knowing the plants, animals, seasons, being able to lead others and anything that brings me more in tune with the natural surroundings. Many outdoor people rush to get back to a bed and hot shower. I work hard in town so I can stay out as long as possible and sleep on the ground,bathe in a streams, lakes, oceans and eat wild foods.

Scott wrote this bio...

Scott Grierson

Age 53

Grew up in a modern log cabin in Bass Harbor Maine and still live adjacent to the Family Land.

Grew up as country boy fishing, shooting rats, raising rabbits, pigs, playing in the woods, etc.... The son of educated parents and naturalist and adventurer father Stanley O Grierson.

Spent my senior year of high school as a foreign exchange student in Peru. After that went back several times in 85, 86, 87 while also dabbling in college..Spent big blocks of time in Peru 94-2004.

First AT through hike started spring of 1988. Turned 21 on the Trail. Previously had read a book called Walk Across America by Peter Jenkins as a kid. Was talking about that with a buddy winter 88 and he mentioned the AT which I hadn’t heard of before. About a month or so later I was off for Springer Mountain. I learned quickly and was a strong hiker and would sometimes do big days like the whole State of Connecticut in a day, over 50 miles. .

First thru hike took 6 1⁄2 months and came easy to me.

Did another 1,500 AT miles in 89 which I eventually pulled together in sections by 1994. Speed Hike was in 1991. 55 days 20 hours and 34 minutes. I have walked the entire AT as a purist by the white blazes three times, several other sections some multiple times and have knocked out more that 10,000 miles of backpacking around the world over the years.

I wanted to really challenge myself after the first AT time Sought a life and death struggle with a beast. I showed myself and the world at that time that I was who I thought I was.

After that and getting to know David Horton, ended up trying ultras. Did well with that too and finished over 15 of them including the Hard Rock 100.

Have spent long periods of time in the Peruvian jungle where I met my wife and the future mother of our sons in a little village along the Upper Amazon. Have guided in Peru and led an expedition over the interfluvial divide between Peru and Brazil hacking our way across truly wild rain forest with machetes and then built our own canoes to paddle out to Brazil. Taken my family on adventures like paddling from one side of the Everglades to the other, sections of the AT in winter when our oldest were 4 and 6 and most recently spent 6 months on the 3,000 Kilometer Te Araroa Adventure Route in New Zealand.

For fun we go camping here in Maine all season sometimes in survival mode living off the land, building our shelters, harvesting wild game, clamming, snow caves, etc...

One of my goals as a young person and still to be honed to this day is to be a “Great Outdoorsman”. That is the pinnacle of outdoor competency to me and it is all about being one with nature and the natural world. I am more comfortable eating grubs and beetles in a thatched roof hut or sleeping on a frozen lake than I would be in a white painted apartment or office somewhere.

To me knowing how far or fast I or someone can cover ground is no different than a coyote or other wild animal knowing the same. What is my range in the backcountry?, how fast can that terrain be covered?, how much food do I need?, how long can I stay out? That is part of being a great outdoorsman. Everyone challenges themselves on a hill, mountain, section of trail, etc.... Knowing what each of us can do in the narrow aspect of how fast one can cover huge distances in the wilds is personally and collectively of value.

Moving fast through the mountains is but one component and aspect of being a skilled outdoorsman. I work on many skills. Wild food harvesting, survival, knowing the plants, animals, seasons, being able to lead others and anything that brings me more in tune with the natural surroundings. Many outdoor people rush to get back to a bed and hot shower. I work hard in town so I can stay out as long as possible and sleep on the ground,bathe in a streams, lakes, oceans and eat wild foods.