All-4-Fun History

Following the formation of Mile-Hi Jeep Club in 1956, the idea of an organized gathering of Jeeps for competitive fun began to take shape in the minds of several members of the club. An organizational meeting was held sometime in 1960 to lay the plans for the first "National Jeep-O-Rama" to be held during the summer of 1961. "Jeep-O-Rama" was not officially associated with Mile-Hi Jeep Club but most of the planners and organizers were active in the club. The first "Jeep-O-Rama" was held in 1961 and by 1966 had become a very popular event among Mile-Hi Jeep Club members as well as an increasing number of out of state four wheel drive owners. In 1966, Dan Bass or Jim Schanefelt (depending on your source) suggested that it might be a nice idea to schedule outings for the out-of-state participants prior to the start of the seventh "Jeep-O-Rama" which had evolved into a full-blown off road race and hill climb competition that attracted four-wheel enthusiasts to the Denver area from all over the United States and Canada.

In 1968 the second annual "All-4-Fun" was advertised conjunction with the eighth annual "Jeep-O-Rama" but a dispute with the landowner, an accident the year before, and some serious questions concerning insurance and liabilities forced the cancellation and the end of "Jeep-O-Rama" and for the first time "All-4-Fun" was scheduled for an entire week. Gone with "Jeep-O-Rama" was the only reason to hold the event close to the Denver area. The second annual "All-4-Fun" was held in the Bergen Park area on land complete with water, electricity, and sanolets. Numerous trips to long abandoned towns, mines, and beautiful scenery along the front range were planned as well as an events day that was held near Georgetown. The event day featured family fun events such as blindfold navigation and obstacle courses. The event day was geared toward the entire family and did not involve the level competition prevalent in the earlier "Jeep-O-Rama" event. On Thursday of "All-4-Fun" week the ladies of Mile-Hi Jeep Club again invited the out-of-state ladies to join them in a "shopping spree" in the Denver area while the fellows went four-wheeling. A total of 32 out-of-state vehicles were registered and attended the second "All-4-Fun".

The third "All-4-Fun" week was scheduled for the Telluride area in July, 1969 in conjunction with the Telluride Jeep club because they were well acquainted with the area. The decision was made to leave the Denver area because there was no longer a need to hold it there. In 1969 there was a minor attempt, though, to schedule a road race to be held north of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal on Saturday and Sunday following "All-4-Fun" – from all accounts the attempt to resurrect the intent of "Jeep-O-Rama" failed.

"All-4-Fun" activities and trips were planned to utilize the assets of the telluride area such as the famous San Juan Mountains and their variety of mountain passes like Imogene and Black Bear. Trips to Bridal Veil and Ingram Falls as well as the Power Station were among the week's planned events. Non four wheeling activities such as the barbecue, the event day for the family, and time for shopping were incorporated into the week's schedule of events. Over 50 vehicles representing ten states were registered and participated in the first legitimate "All-4-Fun" week.

"All-4-Fun" continued to grow and attract more visitors to the magnificent mountains that many natives of Colorado take for granted. The ninth through the seventeenth "All-4-Fun" weeks were held in the following respective areas: 1976 was in Creede; 1977 was in Fairplay; 1978 was in Eagle; 1979 was in Montrose; 1980 was held at Camp Hale the home of the famous 10th Mountain Division; 1981 was held near the old townsite of Montezuma at the base of Loveland Pass; 1982 was held at Pitkin which was near the Ohio City site of the 1972 "All-4-Fun"; 1983 saw a return to the Fairplay area to again try the infamous Wheeler Lake, to follow the Old Stage Road over Mosquito Pass to Leadville, or to take in the panorama from the tops of Mt. Bross and Mt. Lincoln, two of the state's fourteeners.

In 1984, Mile-Hi was selected to host the United 4 Wheel Drive Association convention in conjunction with the eighteenth "All-4-Fun" in the beautiful San Juans near the town of Ouray. Over 300 vehicles were in attendance with participants from nearly every state and some coming from as far away as Great Britain, France, and New Zealand. Ten to fifteen trips were scheduled each day to provide ample opportunity for the visitors to see the mountains of Colorado. Engineer, Cinnamon, Stony, Ophir, and Imogene Passes were on the schedule as were trips up into Yankee Boy Basin, Imogene Basin, Telluride, Animas Forks, Lake City, and many others. The most famous or perhaps infamous Black Bear was still snowed shut and was not open for all to enjoy.

This coming nineteenth "All-4-Fun" in July, 1985 is scheduled to be held in the town of El Jebel which is south of Glenwood Springs. Numerous trips to the old marble quarry above Marble, the town of Crystal with its picturesque mill, Lead King Basin, Pearl Pass, and many others are being planned.

~The author wishes to thank all of the "oldtimers" from Mile-Hi Jeep Club who helped separate fact from fiction in the compilation of the history of "All-4-Fun".

OVER 50 YEARS OF ALL-4-FUN ALL OVER COLORADO!