Another great Jeep Jamboree

MULLAN – Few things reach the level of consistent success the way the Silver Valley Jeep Jamboree has. As one of the area’s quieter big events, each year the number of attendees gets a little bit bigger and the event’s organizers figure out ways to make the events a little bit better.

That’s not to say the event isn’t already pretty darn good, but for Don Kotschevar, who helps with the event’s organization, it’s about finding ways to safely keep the off-road enthusiasts on the hillsides running through as many trails as possible.

The 21st edition of the event, held last weekend, may go down as one of the smoothest.

“This year’s Jeep Jamboree went phenomenally,” Kotschevar said. “Normally at events like these Jeeps will break down, you know, things like axles and drivelines — stuff like that breaks all the time. This year, we barely had anything break — machines are getting better and each year we’re seeing more of the newer Jeeps and less of the older ones that tend to break a little more.”

This year, the group was able to get some permits which granted them access into a newer trail in the Pinehurst area — which opened up some of the more commonly used trails and spread the Jeeps out a little more than they had been in the past.

“That helped out a lot,” Kotschevar said. “It eliminates some of the pressure on the other trails to have fewer participants on them all at once.”

More than 100 Jeeps registered for the three-day event, including Jeepers from as far away as Pensacola, Fla., as well as from Texas, Iowa, Oklahoma and California — all of whom descended upon the Silver Valley for the opportunity to play on our hills and trails.

Most of the riders make their way into town by Wednesday evening, so on Thursday morning they can join in the tour of Shoshone County — which allows them to get a feel for the trails and terrain that they’ll be playing in for the next few days.

Kotschevar also discussed the financial implications of the event and has said in the past that each Jeep that gets registered in the event spends roughly $1,000 throughout the weekend — be it lodging, restaurants and other shopping opportunities during the long weekend.

The Mullan School District Athletics raised nearly $3,000 washing cars during the event and thousands of dollars were raised for the Jeep Jamboree Scholarship — which is given to a senior at Mullan High School each year.