Five minutes after laughing about this, a hiker passed us coming the other way on the trail telling us that a bear had been spotted by other hikers nearby! We made it to the top of the trail unmolested by nature.
Our guide Percy paused and casually asked "Anyone thirsty?" before slashing his machete in a diagonal arc at a thick vine above his shoulder and offering the fresh water pouring out of it for each of us to drink.
