I have never encountered a grizzly, but I have been in close quarters with black bears on two occasions. In both instances, the bears made tracks as quickly as they could to get away from me -- on one occasion when I had a very large black bear in camp about dawn, just the sound of my whispered voice (to my daughter because I wanted her to wake up and see the bear) caused him to run off up the hill like a big furry coward. I am not overly afraid of bears (OK, except for Grizzlies...). Very respectful of their power and wildness, but under most circumstances, they won't bother you. For me, seeing these two was a real treat.