Big Bear Lake is a snow-fed reservoir that anchors a stretch of Linda May’s mountain journey. Its century-old dam and bald-eagle habitat mark the route northward, while nearby towns and campgrounds place the lake within a working landscape of tourism, outdoor recreation, and life on the road.

Setting and Shoreline

After passing through Arrowbear Lake and Running Springs, Linda May reached Big Bear Lake and followed its northern shore. The reservoir is described as fed by snow, and the shoreline passes through bald-eagle habitat. The lake lies along the route toward Grout Bay and Fawnskin, linking the water and surrounding high country to the small communities that serve visitors and wilderness travelers.

Neighboring Communities

Fawnskin, a small town near Grout Bay, was given its current name by early twentieth-century developers who thought the name Grout would deter vacationers. Its general store carried practical supplies for outdoor visitors, from fishing tackle and tire chains to sleeping bags and sun umbrellas. A nearby park displayed fiberglass figures representing men in uniform and other stereotyped figures of public life; Linda May noticed the absence of women and later singled out the oxen pulling a covered wagon as the park’s workers.

Travel and Services

Big Bear Lake also appears as a practical destination within the region’s network of campgrounds. When Silvianne Delmars was due to visit Linda May at Hanna Flat Campground, Linda May used the showers at Serrano Campground, five miles away on the lake’s shore. The cinderblock stalls had water-saving fixtures that ran only briefly, requiring repeated pushes of a chrome button. The detail places the lake not only in the scenery of the journey, but among the facilities travelers relied on while living and camping in the mountains.