Howard Mah and Lori Arnason experienced a frightening encounter with a grizzly bear while hiking in Alberta's Kananaskis Country on July 19. The Calgary couple was celebrating their wedding anniversary with a hike to Troll Falls when they unexpectedly found themselves alone on the trail.

Initially, they were pleased to have the trail to themselves, but that changed when Mah spotted a grizzly bear approaching from behind Arnason. "And as I was walking ahead, he said, 'Oh, Lori, no, stop,'" Arnason recalled. Mah had seen the bear descending through a clearing and hoped it would continue on its way. Instead, the bear came onto the trail and began walking toward them.

The couple tried to remain calm. "We knew not to run," Mah said. They began to back away slowly. Mah, who had been taking photos, switched to video mode and recorded the bear as it approached. The footage shows the bear rising on its hind legs, snorting, and waving its front paws before it briefly accelerated toward them.

Mah estimated the bear came within about 15 meters of them. As the bear continued to follow, he decided to make himself appear larger. "I put up both my hands, made myself as large as possible, and just roared as long as I could," he said. Arnason joined him, and together they roared at the bear, which eventually walked off the trail.

Feeling shaken, the couple chose to abandon their hike and return to the parking lot. They warned other hikers about the bear and reported the encounter to Alberta Parks, providing conservation officers with the video. In response, Alberta Parks issued a bear warning for the Troll Falls area, citing a "grizzly bear bluff charge."

This incident is part of a series of recent bear encounters in the region. A bear warning was issued for the Bill Milne trail on July 8, and the Rawson Lake and Sarrail Ridge routes were closed on July 11 after a bear with cubs charged a group of hikers.

Bear safety expert Kim Titchener explained that bluff charges often occur when a bear feels threatened or surprised. "If you aren't making noise … the problem now is that bear thinks that you were trying to sneak up on them, and that means that they're going to feel threatened," she said.

Reflecting on their experience, Mah and Arnason acknowledged they had been too quiet on the trail. "We were just enjoying nature and, yeah, we weren't talking a lot, or loudly," Arnason said. They emphasized the importance of carrying bear spray in the future, realizing that even popular trails can pose risks.

Arnason expressed the vulnerability they felt during the encounter, stating, "To have it right on the path with you, and no one else around, and no way of defending yourself — you just feel so vulnerable. I thought we could die. I was just shaking afterwards." The couple hopes their story will encourage others to stay vigilant and prepared while hiking in bear country.