As yourself: How much do you like hiking? What are the odds of being eaten? If the rewards of hiking outweigh the risk of being eaten then the "risk management" answer would be to keep hiking. I was fearful but an no longer for two reasons. First, I am an old man and I'm going to die anyway, so if I fall off the mountain or am eaten by a bear, so what? Secondly, I have spent so much time in the woods (72 days last year) that I have habituated to the fear. I saw 2 or 3 bears close up last year, one just casually walked through our camp. It was a wonderful feeling and really one of the highlights of the trip. I'm a scuba diver and I used to, when I started, be afraid of what I might do or think when I first saw a shark. When I finally did they swam by me like all the other fish and then went on their way. No big deal. Since then, if I see a shark I hope he/she stays around long enough and gets close enough for pictures. What I am saying, is just keep hiking and spending the night out and you will get used to it. It wouldn't be the wilderness if we were all protected from all the hazards. You could Stay at the KOA if that is what you wanted. Keep on treking! JIM