Kanisa Hutchins makes backpacking look easy. The Chattanooga native had zero prior backpacking experience when she quit her job, sold her car and moved home to Chattanooga in preparation to hike the Appalachian Trail (AT).
“I had always enjoyed the outdoors, but before the [AT], the most I had hiked in one day was 10 miles. The most camping I had ever done was a weekend trip to Chester Frost Park,” says Hutchins.
The AT is no joke. Fewer than 22,000 trail finishers are registered with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. A registered hiker must trek the full 2,190+ miles through 14 states. The AT’s elevation gain/loss is equivalent to summitting Mt. Everest 16 times.
Most backpackers set aside five to eight months. Hutchins completed the AT in seven, from June to December 2021. She hiked southbound from Maine to Georgia. Her motivations? Adventure and getting outside.
Staff photo by Olivia Ross / Kanisa Hutchins stops on the trail at Sunset Rock.Survival shows like “Alone” and “Naked and Afraid” captured her interest during pandemic lockdowns. Soon, she was watching YouTubers pack their bags for the AT and discussing the trip with her friends. Her family first thought her decision was a joke.