Ill try to condense the story...
Gooch mountain shelter On Monday,6-01-2015,me and a buddy coming from hawk mountain shelter,tired,wet,etc (yes it rained entire time we were there,LOL) and when we got there,only 3 camping spots were left and all spots AND all of the shelter was taken up by a church youth group.....
The church group was there almost 2 days,as they actually took a 0 day at the shelter on Monday and had only a 1.4 mile hike out to gooch gap where church van awaited...
7-15 year olds in woods playing "war",as im at the privy wiping man parts,they are on ridge well within eye shot...
As I come down from privy,aforementioned kids down in front/behind my shelter and my hiking partners tent,again,playing war....
Several hikers,while it was raining,were forced on down the trail,because shelter was taken by youth croup...
3am a HUGE storm came through and we were OK,but to be honest,it would have been nice to wait that out in the biggest shelter on the Georgia section of the AT instead of hunkered under a tarp....
I though large groups were to take spots only and not shelter? Leaving shelters for the thrus and section guys...Am I wrong? What is trail etiquette? What,if anything should have been said? Or is this just par for the course?
Thanks...just want to know next time,if something like this happens.