Tracking in the wilderness

THE BEAR FACTS-Acorn publisher Jim Rule inspects a set of bear tracks that he happened to see while backpacking in the Sespe Wilderness north of Fillmore last weekend. In the close-up, notice the claw marks at the top of each toe pad. Although the tracks were somewhat fresh, the bear was nowhere to be seen. For more information about trekking opportunities in the Los Padres National Forest, visit http:// www.fs.fed.us/r5/lospadres and follow the tracks, er, links.