Hiking trip cut short; I thought I was going to die

In Monticello, Kentucky there is a beautiful and historical waterfall hike with multiple drop waterfalls in the forest. Waterfall hikes are my favorite, so they are the first ones I seek out when planning a hiking trip.  This is one of those hidden trails that the locals know about, but if you're not from the area, it's tricky to find.  It's also an unmarked and unofficial trail, that is obscured by the forest.  I had hiked it prior, but I had never hiked it all the way back, and was curious how far it went.  I had packed my lunch and bug spray for my hike because in Kentucky, September is one of the worst months for bugs.  The trail descends through the forest and runs along caves, cliffs and wildflowers until you get to the main attraction, the multiple cascading waterfalls that run into the lake.  My plan was to hike the trail all the way back, do some of my nature photography and then sit down and enjoy my lunch in the beautiful wilderness.  Everything went according to plan, with one exception.  After I had finished eating my lunch, I decided it was a good time to put on some more of my bug repellent since mosquitoes are attracted to me like moths are to a flame.  After I had finished applying it, I started to hike back up out of the forest.  By now I had been gone for hours and was starting to get tired, so it was time for me to call it a day.  As I was on my way up, I heard the unmistakable roar of a bear, a large bear, directly below me.  I stopped for a second, it was directly below where I had just eaten my lunch and reapplied my bug spray.  Less than probably about thirty feet away.  Growing up outdoors most of the bears I had encountered were far enough away that I wasn't perceived as a threat, and I was able to leave quietly, or watch them leave quietly.  I was taught if you encounter an aggressive bear to grab a large stick and yell and hit a tree and do everything you can to try and scare it off, if it's threatening you.  You are not supposed to run, since that will ignite their predator instincts, and they will see you as prey.  Every instinct in my body lit up and told me do not look at the bear, do not acknowledge the bear and do not make eye contact with the bear.   So, I very slowly continued to hike up the trail, completely ignoring the bear like it wasn't there.  Then there were two roars, simultaneously, what I thought was one bear was actually two.  They sounded exactly like the lion before an MGM movie starts, terrifying.  To say that I had an adrenaline rush is an understatement.  Luckily, I was almost out of the woods and into the open meadow part of the trail.  As soon as I got to the meadow my fear got the best of me and I ran the whole way back to my car.  I could hear roars following me up out of the forest, they were so loud.  I was the only hiker on this trail, but in hindsight I should have warned nearby trails about the bears, but my fight or flight response had kicked in and I was fleeing for my life.  I made it back to my car and sped out of there.  I had never been so grateful to be alive.  Bears are more active at the end of summer and beginning of autumn because they are getting ready to hibernate.  Looking back on this encounter, I had unknowingly been too close to some bears that were more than likely getting ready for hibernation and probably smelled my lunch and bug spray.  Bears have an amazing sense of smell.  I would not ever feel comfortable going back on this trail after this encounter, it was the first time I'd had an encounter with aggressive bears.  I really thought I was going to die, and I wouldn't risk hiking it again.