I unfortunately happened to be immediately next to the dog, but managed to outrun the bees by heading downhill. I personally have taken our golden retriever on quite a few trails off-leash, and know how much easier it is to do it that way. However, I make sure to put him on a leash, or hold his collar, when we meet others. If you take your dogs off-leash, it is vital to know that your dogs won't harm or bother other hikers or the wildlife. There is a group of regular dog walkers, the California Canine Hikers , that has organized hikes in the SGM, and it is interesting to note that they demand that all dogs be on leashes on their hikes in order to prevent problems.
Many people are certainly very upset over having unleashed dogs fight with their leashed dogs.
It really can ruin the joy of a walk. Finally, there is the very real issue of the large effect that unleashed dogs have on the wildlife. Dogs take great delight in hunting down wildlife and chasing them. Even if they are not caught and harmed by the dog, many animals are thus flushed out of their camouflaged home which exposes them to other predators, or have to expend valuable energy during a part of the day when they should be resting. Wildlife often live a very precarious existence during our long hot dry summers, and having to expend additional energy may decrease their numbers since the habitat only gives them a certain amount of calories.