Q: What should I do if I see a bear on a local trail?

A: As a hiker or biker in Aspen, there’s a good chance you’ll end up nose-to-nose with some furry friends that might be foes. Except for a mountain lion, or maybe a moose, none seems more intimidating than a black bear. But there’s no reason to panic. (In fact, panicking is the worst thing you can do.) Instead, stay calm and give the animal room. “That may mean standing still while the bear moves on or it may mean walking back the way you came,” says Liza Mitchell, an ecologist at Pitkin County Open Space and Trails. “Let the bear identify you by speaking in a normal tone and perhaps holding your hands above your head or otherwise making yourself look big.”

 “And never approach the bear,” she adds. That may sound obvious, but otherwise-risk-averse people tend to do some pretty unwise things in the name of impressing social media friends.

DOG OWNERS: Keep Fido leashed, especially in the spring and fall when bears are actively seeking food. “Dogs tend to frighten or aggravate them, making it more likely that the bear might attack,” says Mitchell. And if you see a mama bear and her cub(s)? “Leave immediately,” she stresses. “Never get in between a bear and its cub.” Those are words to live by.