Katlyn Mobley hikes, completes Appalachian Trail

Katlyn Mobley learned a lot about herself – and others around her – as she spent six months backpacking the Appalachian Trail. She is a 2010 graduate of Pike County High School and a 2014 graduate of the University of Georgia where she earned a degree in mass media arts. She is the daughter of Tammy and Randy Mobley and the sister of Kyle Mobley, all of Williamson. She started the challenging 2,200-mile hike with her best friend from kindergarten on March 14 and she reached the end of the trail Sept. 17. Although the task is quite the undertaking for even seasoned hikers, Mobley was determined to complete it, despite the fact that she had never done any backpacking of any sort. ’I really loved day hiking and being in the mountains so my friend and I decided to do it together,’ she said. ’My little brother only gave me two weeks out there but the main thing I learned is that I can do a lot more than I think I can,’ said Mobley. ‘Every day was difficult, but as long as you put one foot in front of the other, you can always get through it. ‘ Although her friend Erica Schiller got a call about a job around the halfway point and decided to leave the trail to pursue it, Mobley continued on by herself, at times relying on the people she met in the area. ’If you want to restore your faith in humanity, the Appalachian Trail is a good place to do it,’ she said. ‘The people I met out there were amazing. Everyone was helpful and nice and seeing the kindness of strangers was probably my favorite part.’For now, she’s not sure where her future travels will take her, but she’s bound to complete more amazing tasks in her lifetime. ’I wasn’t prepared for this at all. I had never backpacked for more than a day and then I spent six months on the trail,’ she said. ‘This journey proves that if there’s anything you think you want to do, you can do it.”