This has been a quandary for many of us along the trail. It became particularly challenging [frustrating] in the Shenandoah's because use the weather was so poor (rainy every day) and easy access due to the road being so close.
The thing is that many thru-hikers find the shelters to be much more efficient after a long day of hiking. The notion of pitching a tent in the rain and then lugging a wet tent all day long day after day has little appeal. So coming upon the shelter you sort of hope that 1) there is space at the Inn;, and 2) your bunk mates are not of suspicious character. We may get a bit narrow minded as we move up the trail, but it seems to becoming less and less appealing to be sleeping next to folks that hang out at the shelter for days, carry weird food and have strange stuff poking out of their bags (machetes, etc.).
So the idea these days seems to approach the shelter with a bit of caution; don't commit too soon and be prepared to pitch your tent in the rain. Or, maybe the better approach is to work on keeping an open mind and realize that homeless people on the trail are not so bad after all....
Crank
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