Bobbie Benchmark and Peak 1704

Hiked: 11/5/2021
Distance: 5.5 miles round trip on trail and cross country
Summit Elevation: 2518' (Bobbie), 1704'
Prominence: 838' (Bobbie)
Elevation Gain: 1400'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 1.1
Round trip time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Recommended water: 40 oz.
Parking/Fees: $10 State Park Day Use Fee
Difficulty: Easy

With only a half day available to hike, I looked for something local and easy. I drove to Lake Perris State Park and paid the $10 day use fee, although I parked just outside the park and could have skipped payment. There are 8 peaks in the hills surrounding Lake Perris. I had climbed 7 of them on previous trips and aimed to get the last one, Bobbie Benchmark. There were only 3 ascents listed for Bobbie and no tracks. I parked on a small maintenance road just off Ramona Expressway directly south of the peak. There was no official trail so I decided to go directly up the south face, expecting light brush and knee high grass. I was pleasantly surprised to find a use trail going up from the end of the road. The use trail was in good shape on the lower half of the slope, then I lost it, then I found it again on the upper slope. It was scrambley and steep in a couple of spots, but not difficult. On top were great views of the lake and the nearby Bernasconi Hills high point.

Bobbie Benchmark

From the top, I looked at the gully between Bobbie and Bernasconi as a possible descent path. There is rock climbing wall at the bottom of the gully called Big Duck Rock and I estimated the odds of descending the gully without hitting a cliff. It was hard to tell. I started down, finding one class 3 move to reach the saddle. There was a trail heading into the gully so I followed it. It faded out not far from the top, but there were several animal trails continuing down. The animal trails were helpful, but twice I hit what I thought was a cliff, only to find a continuation by going up a little or to one side. I wasn't sure it was going to go until I had only a few hundred feet left. As I exited the gully, I saw two climbers just starting up a long wall on Big Duck Rock. The wall looked like it might be too long for a single rope and I didn't see any place they might belay, but that was not my concern.

Climbers on Big Duck Rock
I followed the base of Bobbie to the west side looking for a bonus. There were a three bumps southwest of the lake about a mile away. I headed toward the highest one, Peak 1704, not listed in Peakbagger. The legal status of this strip of land is unknown. It looks like it is outside the state park and between the park and the fairgrounds. I figured I would go unless someone stopped me. As I approached Peak 1704, I decided to go up the center gully, mostly class 2 with good rock. On top was a metal cylinder and a couple of small, unlabelled marks. There was also a swarm of bugs encouraging me to drop down the north side. I returned the way I came and continued to walk along the base of Bobbie back to the truck. All my trips around Lake Perris have been fun little adventures. Hunting is allowed in the park during the fall so wear bright colors.

Dept of water resources mark near the base of the gully, stamped PR103, unusual location

Looking back at Bobbie BM (right)