Hi OregonMouse,
The thought of bears in Yellowstone makes me pretty nervous so I called a backcountry ranger there and told her of our plans and that there would only be 2 of us. I wanted to know if they thought that would be a bad idea and she said "Oh no, it's less impact on the environment so we like that." I told her I was asking because of the bears (I'm concerned about the environment too but..). She said we should be fine.
I hike in grizzly country all the time. As long as you take appropriate precautions with your food and smellibles (hang or locker, or bear canister used appropriately) you should have nothing to worry about.
Remember that smellibles includes garbage, toothpaste, tolietries, and feminine hygine products.
Bears are not white sharks, so it's not a case of a drop of food will bring them for miles, but you simply
do not want your food and smellibles with you. You want them somewhere else, secured.
You should also not hike "silently" stalking down the trail, because you don't want to surprise things. The
only time I hike silently is when I'm hunting. The rest of the time I give a little yip every few hundred meters when solo, or just talk to my partner if not.
I do firmly believe that I am in more danger driving my car to the trailhead than from a bear while hiking.
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