Dude! There's like a deer or skunk over there, bro.

Right now I'm sitting in the Front Royal, VA library. This an amazing new facility that replaced the old one. They apparently tore down the old building and demolished the whole street. It must have been crazy. Anyway, I have to skip a few days of hiking to relate to you this story...the library is going to close shortly.

We arrived at the Rock Springs Shelter later in the evening after a relatively strenuous day of hiking--more than 14 miles. More than an hour later, these two guys walk in, chatting to each other. This didn't seem that unusual. The proceeded up the hill and selected a tent site directly next to ours. For almost the next hour, they deliberated about how their poles were supposed to fit together. Clearly (hopefully?) this was their first night in the woods. After that fiasco, they went down to the water source and filled some containers (I'm not sure why they did this--see below). For almost an hour they discussed the items that should go in the bear bag. The conversation was like this:
"Dude, do you think these candy bars should go in the bear bag, bro?"
"Yeah, dude. I think all food needs to go in."
"Cool, man. What about this Mountain Dew."
"Ummmm. Yeah. Probably. I mean. I guess."
"Oh. Righteous, man. Yeah."
"What about the tooth paste, man?"
"Yeah. I guess anything that's food or smells should go in the bear bag..."
It was 45 minutes of this. No joke.

The other one went away for a little and came back to his friend sipping water.
"Dude, you didn't drink any of that water. did you."
"Oh no bro, I never drink that stuff." (as he sipped from his Poland Spring bottle.)

Well, then into the night they kept talking back and forth. Apparently they were salesmen that were about to close a deal. They spoke about such interesting things as smelly farts and girlfriends and stuff. When the ladies came near, one stated that he was an Eagle Scout. I'm wondering if he knew there was a troop of Eagle Scouts staying in the shelter just below. Anyway, they went on talking loudly back and forth to each other well past when it was decent. Throughout the night, one kept rapping on the other's tent to tell him to stop snoring. Very early in the morning, I finally went to sleep. The next thing I knew, my eyes were open, and it was light. I could hear these guys rustling around and tearing down their camp. I assumed that it was very early. Turns out it was only six, so I went back to sleep. Upon finally waking, they were just leaving. We tore down our stuff, made coffee, ate breakfast, and then set out on our hike almost an hour and a half after these guys. We caught up to and passed them within the hour. So much for a head start.

A little way downb the trail, we came to the Skyland service area, and stopped for some coffee. We met some thru-hikers that we had come to know, and we all talked about how obnoxious these guys were. Then who should come walking in. Yes. It was them. They ignored all of us. Got their coffee, walked across the parking lot. The last we heard from them was:
"Dude. You ready to do the next 20 miles?"
"Yeah, totally man."

They then got into their SUV and drove away. Their hike was 4.6 miles long. They were true outdoorsmen. I have only one thing to say to them:

Fuck you, bro.