There is a very slim chance of black bear, which are fairly small in the Southern Mountains, and cougar.
More worrisome are the two legged rats on the trail.
I had a cousin and her boyfriend murdered in their tent on the trail back in the 80's. No rape, no robbery, just shot in their sleep for the @#$$ of it.
A spray can of hot sauce is not the answer to this question no matter how much you want to justify your decision to let fate rule your outcome. Ease off the granola.
