Just got back from a trip to the Smoky Mountains area a few months ago. On two occasions all traffic stopped on the roads because of a 'bear sighting'. People got out of their cars with cameras and tried to lure the 'cute little bears' to them with treats so they could snap a photo. Idiots! We hiked to about 15 falls in the SC/NC/TN area and never encountered a bear - and most of the falls were pretty remote, with no other humans in sight. Bears are fine if no one tries to 'humanize' them. They are wild animals, and need to be treated as such, with respect and awe and fear. When we go into the woods, we are in their territory. The consequences of our actions are our own. We might be perceived as food or as a threat - depending on the bear. That being said, I know I will be eaten the next time I go for a hike.
In case you ever find yourselves in a 'beary' situation, one of the surest things that can work in your defense is a good ole' camera. There was an article in the NG some years back about how a travel reporter thought his time had come when found himself face to face with a pretty ferocious looking bear. For posterity's sake he decided to take his last photgraph and record the moments before his death. And lo and behold, as soon as he fired the camera's flash at the bear, the bear turned around and disappeared into the woods. Had he not taken that picture, he said there was no doubt he would have been killed and eaten that day.