Off the Beaten Path
406 Side by Side
Columbus
Written by Cyd Hoefle
Photography by Stu Hoefle
On a recent spring day, nearly 25 Can Am, Polaris, Honda and Kawasaki UTVs and ATVs gathered in the parking lot of the 307 Bar & Grill in Columbus. Anxious riders greeted each other - some longtime friends, some new to the group, but all excited for a ride with the 406 Side by- Side Group.
Jason Ekle, founder of the group, plans group rides almost every weekend of the year. He’s passionate about getting people involved in the sport of side by side riding and he’s a year-round rider.
“I don’t like to get cold,” Jason laughed when asked whether he transfers to snowmobiling during the winter. “I like my warm cab!”
Jason loves everything about riding side by side. Though he works full time, he spends most of his free time riding, working on off-road vehicles or planning future rides. In the seven years since he’s been riding, he’s put over 28,000 miles on three different machines.
“We have over 1,000 miles of trails close to Columbus and surrounding towns. There are a lot of trails to enjoy.””
Jason Ekle and Tammy Bailey
“I really enjoy getting out myself,” he said, “I also like helping new people get exposed to riding; showing them great places to ride and how to enjoy the outdoors.”
Seven years ago, Jason and a few friends were riding Benbow, an ATV hotspot outside of Absarokee.
“We were having dinner later that day and I decided to put a Facebook group together so that we could post where we were going on our next ride and invite anyone in the group to join us and bring friends along,” Jason said.
What evolved is now a Facebook page for anything UTV/ATV related - from folks needing help planning trips and inviting other riders, to getting advice on what to purchase or how to fix something. Today, over 11,000 members are on the public group page, and though many take part in Jason’s weekly ride, there are also rides planned all over the state by other members.
“I have no idea how it blew up. Every week, we get more followers,” he said. “I want to meet some of the guys that are posting rides in other areas, I’d love to have them show me around.”
A few weeks ago, he put together a ride into the Pryor Mountains for an opportunity to see the ice caves and maybe a glimpse of the wild horses. No one was more surprised than Jason when 57 “buggies” showed up to join him.
“It was great,” Jason said. “People had a great time that day. They met new people and shared food with each other, and some made plans to meet up again.”
He’s thoughtful about the rides he plans; alternating between easy rides and more technical ones, hoping to guide and teach people along the way.
“We’ve taken some rides that are more technical,” he said. Blue Lake up the Main Boulder River, south of Big Timber is a favorite ride of Jason’s. It’s been closed due to washed out bridges, but the Forest Service is working to reopen the trail this year.
“It’s a more technical level of riding,” he explained, “But we take it slow and make sure everyone can get through and help them if they can’t.”
Safety is a major issue for Jason and he’s as prepared as he can be.
Packed on his machine include a battery-powered chain saw, tools needed to change the belt of every brand of machine, a satellite phone and even an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) machine.
“I don’t like to take a chance that an emergency can happen and not be prepared,” he explained. “A few years ago, we had a lady quit breathing on us. Thankfully we had three nurses with us, and she was ok, but I don’t want to ever take a chance like that again.”
Because he often rides alone and in remote areas, he believes in the satellite phone in case something should ever happen.
Jason’s Pick of the Top Five Accessories
Spare Belt, (once it breaks, you’re done)
Water (for windshield and drinking)
Squeegee (to clean windshield)
First Aid kit (hope you don’t need it)
Small tool kit (also hope you don’t need it)
Follow 406 Side by Side on Facebook
A community-minded person, Jason raises money through donations by the riders to give back to communities, particularly Columbus, where he and most of his family reside. The Pryor Mountain ride brought in $20 per buggy and raised close to $1200 which he donated to the Columbus Senior Center. In the past three years, he’s raised nearly $10,000 for the center.
Each week, Jason will post the ride on Facebook and note his opinion of the level of experience a rider should have to be comfortable and safe on the ride. If he believes the ride he is planning is unusually difficult and technical, he keeps those trip plans private to avoid attracting those that may not be capable yet of handling the ride.
For those riding outside of his group rides, he said, onX Backcountry Trail GPS app is specific for Off Road and encourages folks to use it.
Rides for this summer include many that are within 100 miles of Columbus.
“We have over 1,000 miles of trails close to Columbus and surrounding towns,” he said. “There are a lot of trails to enjoy.”
As with any sport, Jason says respect is key - Knowing property boundaries, not abusing the land and looking out for one another, whether in a group, or on your own.
“Know where you’re at, don’t get caught trespassing and don’t get in a bind, especially if you’re by yourself. And have the appropriate tags to be riding where you are,” he advised.
Within the community of riders that Jason has established, he said it’s exciting to see families show up with several machines. Four generations of one family joined him recently in four machines and he said, that’s quite common.
“It’s great fun,” he said. “I haven’t been riding that long, but it’s been a heck of a run.”