dsa1115 I fish and hike real close to Girdwood in a small town called Cooper Landing. And let me tell you, there are plenty of coastal browns and black bears in the area. I hike the Russian River Falls area near there, and never go in the woods without my 12 gauge loaded with slugs, a Ruger Redhawk on my hip, and a bottle of Counter Assault Bear Spray. While hiking it's also a good idea to wear a bell bracelet so a bear could hear you. Bears are pretty solitary, and if they can hear you or smell you, they "normally" aren't interested. The worst thing however is surprising one, especially a sow with cubs. But statistically speaking, moose kill a lot more people than bears do.