Clean Bear Site No. 1

About Clean Bear Site No. 1

In late spring, the last snowbanks in Big Bear Lake shrink back into the shade of north-facing eaves, and every yard shows what winter left behind — bent branches, gravel thrown by plows, a season's worth of scattered limbs. That is when Clean Bear Site No. 1 gets to work: hauling away debris, cutting the first shaggy grass of the year, and setting properties straight before summer arrives on the lake. Mornings up here begin with mist lifting off the water, and the crew likes to begin with it. By afternoon a lot that looked abandoned in April can look cared for again, borders cut and beds cleared. They cover Big Bear Lake and the surrounding valley, one cleaned-up site at a time.