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PERSPECTIVE

Nielsen’s journey gives him a new outlook on life

Submitted photo Ryan Nielsen, a 2013 Fort Dodge Senior High graduate, poses at Mount Katahdin in Maine.

After over a year of preparation, Ryan Nielsen was ready for a journey that would take him through some of the world’s most beautiful landscape and help alter his perspective on life.

The 2013 Fort Dodge Senior High graduate’s thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail would include 14 states, 2,200 miles and six months. As intimidating and complex as that sounds, the simplicity of the journey gave Nielsen a whole new outlook on life.

“I gained a lot of discipline and understanding of who I was and who I wanted to be as a person,” Nielsen said. “Just knowing that if I kept working and stayed focused, I would get where I wanted to go.

“You have to keep your feet moving one step at a time.”

With the toughness of the journey came rewards. Being outdoors, away from technological support and distractions, gave Nielsen the kind of pace he’d been searching for in his quest to find a bigger picture.

“I definitely loved being away from my phone all the time in particular,” Nielsen said. “It was a really good feeling, because I didn’t have any worries. I was focused on my journey.

“I was able to talk to friends and family occasionally. It was a bummer being away for six months, but I needed (the break).”

Nielsen started on March 14, when his parents — John and Christy Nielsen — dropped him off north of Atlanta. He finished the thru-hike in Maine on Sept. 18.

“I started in Georgia and thought it would be really warm, but the first night was nine degrees and snowing. That was a tough start,” Nielsen said. “It wasn’t as much about the temperature changes during the hike as not really knowing when the rain was going to hit.

“I would usually wake up with the sunrise, and the birds were my alarm. I’d cook breakfast, either oatmeal or Pop Tarts, and start hiking for a few hours then take a break. I would occasionally sit for a while before taking a lunch break, then take off for the entire afternoon. Then I’d have a light dinner, take off again, and going hiking more.

“Once the sun set, I’d find a spot to camp and set up a fire. At night, I would read a lot.”

Nielsen said he did see and interact with other hikers along the way, even though his journey was technically a solo act.

“It could get a little lonely at times, but it was great to learn from other people about what they were doing and if they had any tips,” Nielsen said. “Relatively speaking, it was a pretty social trail. I would see people every day.”

There were some sobering moments, where the strenuous journey seemed never-ending and Nielsen’s mind would wander. One of the longest parts of the trail was through Virginia, which is about 1/4 of the Appalachian Trail.

“Virginia was the longest and most time consuming part of the trail,” Nielsen said. ”It’s almost a two-week journey, and hiking every starts to bum you out after a while because you really didn’t feel like you were making enough progress.

”It was pretty tough, but I’d look up and see something beautiful and tell myself yourself to keep going.”

Nielsen’s favorite section was in New Hampshire.

“My favorite part was the White National Forest ,” Nielsen said. “It’s 90 miles and has the most beautiful tree lines.”

When he finished the thru-hike last month in Maine, Nielsen wasn’t quite sure how to react.

“It definitely felt weird,” Nielsen said. “I don’t know if I really understood what I just did. When I saw my parents off the mountain, it was a great feeling of accomplishment.”

Being a 21-year-old on a temporary break from school, Nielsen felt both refreshed and encouraged by his achievement.

“My family was very supportive,” Nielsen said. “When I first told them about the trip, I don’t think they realized how long it was, but they did the research as well to see what I would be going through.

“It was nice to be able to get a hold of them if I needed to talk. I spoke with my mom once a week.”

Ryan’s dad was saw a big change in his son when he came off the mountain.

“I saw a lot of maturation in him,” John said. “He changed physically and mentally quite a bit.

“He achieved a lot of personal growth, which is what he wanted to do.”

Nielsen isn’t done with his hiking experience, as he plans on sometime conquering a much bigger and bolder goal.

“I definitely plan on the Triple Crown,” Nielsen said. “There is the Pacific Crest Trail (Washington, Oregon and California between Mexico and Canada) and the Continental Divide Trail (between Mexico and Canada following the Continental Divide) to go along with the Appalachian Trail.

“It’s definitely on the radar now. I feel like I can do it and do anything if I set my mind to it.”

This is the concluding story in a two-part series featuring Fort Dodge’s Ryan Nielsen and his trip through The Appalachian Trail.

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