Riders celebrate Halloween and wine on Red Mountain
Over the Halloween weekend, horseback riders—many of them in costume—enjoyed the fresh eastern Washington air, sipped some wine, and camped on DNR-managed lands on Red Mountain near Benton City. The Purple Sage Riders Chapter of the Backcountry Horsemen of Washington sponsored the 8th Annual Red Mountain Winery and Halloween Costume Prize Ride. Approximately 400 people attended the event, some coming from as far as Texas and Alaska.
Riders rode a series of trails to sample wines at each of the participating vineyards. Hitching stations were set up at each winery where riders enjoyed the tastings (and the horses enjoyed fresh water and good old fashioned feed).
DNR provided the land for camping and staging on an undeveloped section of Red Mountain. DNR leases much of the area to grape growers. Revenues go to the common school trust to help build K-12 public schools statewide. In exchange for permitting the event, the chapter has adopted a neighboring section of land, which has seen considerable abuse from garbage dumping and target shooting. The chapter began maintaining that section in April and has cleared tons of trash, including washing machines, mattresses, and refrigerators, etc.
Red Mountain is certified as an American Viticulture Area (AVA) and grows some of the best grapes in Washington State. State trust lands leased for wine production in the AVA are projected to provide about $1 million annually by the middle of the next decade.
