On Oct. 1, Iker reached the top of Mount Katahdin in Maine, the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. He hiked 2,181 miles in 175 days to complete the six-month adventure.
“It was way more difficult than I thought,” Iker said about the challenge.
Iker trekked through 14 states and went through seven pairs of shoes. He averaged 15 to 20 miles a day, and hiked more than 40 miles in one day. 
And even though the trails were physically tough and constantly difficult to navigate, Iker said it was not the physical part that was the most challenging, it was the mental strength it took to keep going.
“Just because you’re having a low day, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be doing it,” Iker said.
This is what he kept in the back of his mind on the trail. And while he said quitting entered his mind a couple of times, whether it was a hot day or a sprained ankle, he always shook off the idea quickly.
Iker was able to really experience nature hiking through changing scenery, seasons and temperatures, and he said the hike allowed him to appreciate the simple things.
“It was just a new perspective on what is important to you,” Iker said.
He saw deer, bears, snakes, moose and much more on the trail and said the most memorable animals were a bald eagle and all of the crazy chipmunks.
“Animals did way more amazing stuff than people did,” Iker said.
Being outside for six months, and having nothing to look at but what was around him, Iker said he noticed many indescribable things on trail, including the beauty of the trail in New Hampshire and Maine.
“There is something to be said for a big green forrest,” Iker said. “Even after 100 miles of the same thing.”
And while Iker said he enjoyed the scenery and time spent hiking by himself, his journey would not have been the same if he hadn’t met several friends with whom he shared much of the experience.
Kipper, Chimp, Kwai, Caboose and Blue Foot were the hikers Iker spent the most time with. He said their names are trail names, which is what everyone uses to address each other on the trail. Iker’s trail name was Spork, acquired because of the spoon-fork utensil he often carried behind his ear.
Iker was also known for his beard, which grew to extraordinary lengths during the six month hike and earned him numerous compliments.
“We all had the same mentality,” Iker said about group he hiked with.
He said while some hikers would skip sections of the trail to get ahead, his group wanted to cover every inch. They would generally walk at their own pace and meet up at camp.
“It was so much fun to hike by myself, but I was so happy to see my people again,” Iker said.
He said camp was when they all got to socialize and have a good meal, and after expending energy all day long, they were often famished.
Iker ate healthy foods most of the time, but said eventually his go-to food became honey buns, something he’d never eat at home but managed to get his whole group hooked on.
Iker said another good thing about his group was the support they gave each other. They would share supplies and could always cheer each other up.
“I laughed more in that six months than I ever have,” Iker said.
He said people who lived or worked along the trail were supportive too, for the most part, and some even shared their homes with the “bearded, scraggly looking hikers.”
Although he wasn’t there, Iker said his dad, Chuck Iker, was part of the reason he finished the trail. Chuck sent Ryan packages with equipment, talked to him as often as he could and created a blog where he detailed Ryan’s progress on the trail up until his climb to the top of Katahdin.
“It was the saddest and happiest day,” Ryan said about the climb to finish the trail. “We got up at 5 a.m., and got above treeline by sunrise.”
He said by the time his group got up to the peak, they could hardly see anything in the clouds. What did come into view was the sign marking the northern terminus of the trail. It was the final directional marker and the end of their journey.
“We were all in this weird little world,” Ryan said. “Nobody said much. Our direction was gone. We didn’t have to walk north anymore.”
He said the feeling was definitely bitter-sweet. An accomplishment, but an end to the adventure.
Looking back, Ryan said the trail has transformed him into a life-long hiker and he will never forget the friends he made or the simplicity of life on the trial.
“You realize what is important to you,” Ryan said. “For me, I need a backpack, good people around me and somewhere to put my tent up.”