Maine Gravity Series: Mt. Abram

The 3rd Annual Crooked River Rambler is here! Join us for a proper Western Maine gravel adventure at peak fall foliage! Explore the most beautiful gravel roads and quirky rural delights that the Crooked River watershed has in store…and have fun doin' it!

What's new for 2026

• The same great route (if it's not broke…)

• For those who want to keep on Ramblin', a new 10-mile "Crooked-Kezar Extension" is on offer, details below

• To pile on this year's Kezar love, we're adding a new community partner, the Greater Lovell Land Trust!

• A friggin' rad new Crooky logo and t-shirt courtesy of our friend and amazing local artist, Amy Borch

• And the snacks keep getting better!

The Highlights

• Pedal by half a dozen remote ponds in a lush Maine pine forest

• Soak in epic mountain views from your high gravel perch

• Conquer historic farm roads and ATV trails

• Ponder the mythical “Hand on the Rock”

• Gaze into the depths of the legendary Kezar Gorge

This ride is not a race. It's designed to bring people together around a shared love of the outdoors and provide an opportunity to challenge yourself, explore a new place, and hopefully make a few new friends! Read on for more specifics, but know this: the route is mostly sane, at times a lil' chunky, and may make you laugh (hopefully not cry, but no promises).

Rules

1. Be safe

2. Have fun

3. Get shit done

4. Don't take yourself too seriously

What's included in my registration fee:

• Parking for the ride

• Free Camping

• A sweet “Crooked River Rambler” sticker

• Post-ride meal (with options for all diets) provided by the wonderful Franck's Foods

Venue

This event will take place at Headwaters Basecamp, a new rural recreation hub in the foothills of the White Mountains and high in the Crooked River headwaters region. Everything before and after the ride will take place at this location. Here there will be a check-in tent, water, porto-potties, and food (coffee and baked goods before the ride, food truck after the ride). This is also where you will park for the event, and stick around for the afterparty (more below)!

The Ride

• 10am start, don't be late! (Check-in starts at 9am)

• 3 Aid-Stations with yummy snacks, water, and enthusiastic dancing fishes

• The OG Crooky route is 33 miles, 65% off pavement, and a hell of a lot of fun. Checkout the full route here. There is also strategic shortcut at the halfway mark for those who'd prefer a shorter (23 miles) ride. This is the bizzness!

• If you're one of those crazies who wants more…

• New this year: The “Crooked-Kezar Extension": An optional 10-mile addition that brings you further into the Kezar River watershed then loops you on back to the OG Crooky Route to finish off your ride back to Headwaters. This extension is for those piddle-pedalers who want to keep on pushin', blasting you on up to the finest hill country general store there ever was: the Center Lovell Market. Enjoy the Baldface views and a sneaky cute antique shop, then send it back down to the Kezar River valley floor and bring ‘er on home. Here's the route plus the extension.

Recommended Bike/Gear

• All riders should be prepared and self-sufficient! Bring spare tube, pump/c02, patch kit, tire irons, repair tool.

• Bring plenty of water storage capacity and snacks. Distances between water re-fill and snack stations may be up to 15 miles.

• It is recommended you ride this route with a bicycle. Although perhaps a unicycle or a tricycle could also work. As to what kind, that's up to you. If all you've got is a full-suspension mountain bike, that'll do. If you're one of those gear heads who has 8 bikes, surely one will also do. This route has been done on every kind of bike there is, including tandem bikes, commuter bikes, and old steel fixies. If you have a gravel bike, that'll definitely work. Run whatcha brung, ain't no shame heyuh.

After Party

Following the ride, there will be food, libations, yard games and music back at Headwaters. Capping the night off with a campfire and s'mores for those who choose to spend the night!

Music this year by the hyper local (down the road!!) musical wonder: Keith Briggs!

Camping

Free car, tent, van, bus camping to anyone who wants it Saturday and Sunday night. Saturday night you'll mostly be on your own as we will be setting up for the event. Sunday night we'll be having a campfire with smore's. There will be porto-potties and a water jug, otherwise bring everything you need!

Safety

Unfortunately, riding a bicycle, particularly on roads also traveled by cars, can be a dangerous activity. We take safety at this event super seriously and we hope you will too. Our safety measure include:

• An emergency plan to be shared with all riders prior to ride day so they know what to do in the event of an emergency on the course

• Our med team will be riding sweep

• Check-in and check-out to ensure everyone makes it off the course safely

• First aid kit available at all aid stations and at basecamp

Volunteers

Aren't much of a biker, but still want to be a part of the fun? Give us a hand by parking cars, handing out snacks, or retrieving directional arrows after the ride. Select “Volunteer” on the registration page and get a free meal ticket in return!

Community Partners

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Why This Place Matters

The Crooked River is more than just a beautiful backdrop — it’s the beating heart of the Sebago Lake watershed. Its cold, clean waters are critical spawning grounds for landlocked Sebago salmon (Salmo salar sebago), a unique strain of salmon found only in the Sebago watershed. The river also helps supply drinking water to nearly 1 in 6 Mainers, making its health vital to communities far beyond its banks.

That’s why local partners like Mahoosuc Land Trust, Greater Lovell Land Trust, and Sebago Clean Waters are working hard to protect the Crooked River headwaters — keeping forests intact, water clean, and this incredible place thriving for generations to come.

In 2024, local paddlers and storytellers Andy Gagne and Jenny O'Connell and friends called attention to the river’s importance by paddling from its headwaters all the way to Casco Bay. Checkout their award-winning documentary, Follow the Water, made in partnership with Maine Mountain Media.

Financial Transparency

The Crooked River Rambler is put on by Headwaters Maine, LLC; a recreation basecamp business owned by husband and wife Jordan Rowell and Haley Cushing. The goal for the event is first and foremost to have a great time with friends and explore this beautiful area we call home! We keep registration costs to the bare minimum, covering food, music, aid station supplies, stickers, and other random incidentals. We send $100-200 to each community partner after the event. Sometimes we're able to keep a couple hundred bucks to pay us for our time organizing, but that's really just a bonus.

Join us for some Trail work and some fun. We plan to work on the trails both Saturday and Sunday from 8-12. We are planning to work on a new downhill trail build and some general maintenance depending on how many people we get.

After the work we will have a group ride and then a barbeque at the group site we have reserved in Moose Brook State Park.

Join us for the day or camp in the group site for the weekend! It will be available Friday and Saturday night for anyone who wishes to camp!

We will have a short annual meeting at some point during the BBQ to update people on our work over the last year and what we have coming up next year.

There is no cost for this event and the registration just helps us understand how we will allocate resources for trail work and how much food to buy.

Date: Saturday, August 15, 2026

(Weather Date: Sunday, August 16, 2026)

We are excited to return to the “rock pile” for the 53st Mt. Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb (MWARBH) presented by Tin Mountain Conservation Center! Tin Mountain Conservation Center is a non profit which provides opportunities to experience nature as the ultimate classroom.

In fact, this summer you have two opportunities to pedal to the top of Mt. Washington! These event notes are for the main event, the supported, timed, exciting, and not-to-miss festival.

This year our maximum capacity is 500 riders! We expect registration to fill quickly. Do not wait to register!

The 2026 Mt. Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb registration policies are:

1. The entire registration process shall be at the sole discretion of the event organizers and their decisions and interpretations shall be final and binding.

2. Event organizers shall not be responsible for incomplete entries or declined credit cards.

3. Your age on December 31, 2026 determines your racing group for time and awards.

4. Funds raised through PledgeReg are non-refundable.

5. There is no "day-of" registration. If this policy changes, announcements will be made through email blasts and social media closer to race day.

6. Cancellations - Riders may cancel for a refund of the amount paid at the time of registration, minus a $50 administration fee until July 1, 2026 at 5 pm EST. Cancellations must be emailed directly to the event director prior to July 1, 2026 at 5 pm EST for a refund minus the $50 administration fee.

7. Weather and Race Conditions Disclaimer - Understand you are registering to participate in a race where the venue is Mt. Washington, noted for extreme and rapidly changing weather conditions. You also understand that ice, snow, very high winds, hard driving rain or any other force majeure may necessitate delay of the event to the rain date (Sunday, August 16, 2026) or a cancellation. Weather or safety-related decisions regarding the event will be made by the event directors through consultation with the Mt. Washington Auto Road, NH State Parks, and/or local emergency personnel. Weather and safety-related decisions may be made in the days leading to the event or at the event. It is your responsibility to get event insurance and understand that if the event is canceled, there are no refunds.

8. If the race is canceled on both days due to weather or any other force majeure (natural or human, unforeseen, unavoidable, external or irresistible event), your entry fee will be graciously accepted as a donation to Tin Mountain. Sorry, no refunds.

9. Early Access to Registration - Early registration access is also provided to those who have raced 10 or more times since 2005 or have confirmed with the race director their race history prior to registration opening.

10. Registration Category Limits - There are a total of 500 registration spots for 2026! In addition to individual hillclimbers, we also have an alternative bike category and a tandem team category. The alternative bikes category includes any type of human-powered bike – unicycle, fixies, single speed. Alt bikes race against each other for the podium spots. Unicycle vs. fixie...who would win??

11. Ebikes - Ebikes or any type of pedal assist bikes are not permitted in this event. This includes any type of pedal electric bike, low speed electric bicycle or bike that utilizes pedaling-electric power or electric or motorized power. All riders must participate on a bike without assistance. Dying to ride your ebike up the rockpile? There will be 25 spots reserved for ebikes for the July 2026 Ride the Rockpile event. Registration opens on January 15th 2026.

12. Waitlisted Riders: My advice, if you want to race and you don’t get in, go for the waitlist! Do not hesitate. Bikereg only charges you if you are moved into the race. Waitlisted riders are placed in the race to fill spots in the order registered, no exceptions. If you don’t register for the waitlist, you will likely miss these opportunities. Registration for the waitlist closes on July 27 and we will move riders off the waitlist, if possible, until August 10, 2026.

13. Good to Know Registration and Important Cut Off Dates:

January 1st, 2026, 9 am EST: Registration is open for those with an early registration password.

January 15th, 2026 9 am EST: Registration opens to everyone. Once a category fills, the waitlist starts. *Note, some categories DO NOT have a waitlist and this is indicated in the category description. Advice, get on a waitlist! Almost everyone in 2025 on the waitlist got in!

LAST CHANCE TO CANCEL FOR A REFUND - July 1, 2026 at 5 pm EST – Cut-off date for canceling registration and being refunded. Cancellations prior to July 1, 2026 at 5 pm EST will be refunded the amount paid at the time of registration, minus a $50 administration fee.

After July 1, 2026 at 5 pm EST, refunds for canceled registrations are no longer allowed. Transfers are allowed (see item #15).

On July 27, 2026 at 5 pm EST or sooner if the event is full – On-line registration closes for all categories. The ability to transfer your registration ends. The ability to edit your entry ends.

July 27, 2026 – Fundraising Charge Date (see item #14 below for more information) – For participants who are fundraising, if you have not raised the minimum you selected by this date, your credit card will be charged.

August 4, 2026 - If you opted to fundraise and are not able to raise the minimum to meet the registration fee of $450, your credit card on file will be charged the remaining balance between July 27, 2026 and August 4, 2026. There will be two attempts to charge your card and then it will be considered a failed credit card authorization. If payment of the minimum balance is not resolved by August 4, your registration will be forfeited with no refund. Make sure to check your email and spam mail if you have not raised the minimum by July 27, 2026.

August 5, 2026 at 5 pm EST – On-line purchase of extra food tickets ends.

August 10, 2026 at 5 pm is the waitlist cutoff date which is the final date waitlisted riders agree to have their credit cards charged. After August 10, the race director may allow waitlisted riders a day-of registration on a first come first serve basis. This will be communicated closer to event time.

14. Registration Fee and Fundraising: The standard registration fee per rider is $350. Everyone that races the Rockpile fundraises for the Tin Mountain Conservation Center! For those that wish to keep fundraising simple, you will be charged the full fee of $350 at the time of registration. You will still receive an email inviting you to set up a fundraising page to have a chance at winning our fundraising incentive prizes!

If you choose to fundraise more, select the “SUMMIT or PEAK” category option. You will be charged $150 at the time of registration, which secures your spot. You will receive an email to set up a Pledge Reg page. The minimum amount to fundraise is $300 to meet the $450 registration fee. Or $850 to meet the $1,000 SUMMIT pledge. During the registration process, you will agree to a delayed charge of the difference between the amount raised and your pledge. If you are unable to raise the minimum pledge by July 27, 2026 you are responsible for that difference and will be charged the unmet minimum balance. If payment of the minimum balance is not resolved by August 4, your registration will be forfeited with no refund.

But don’t stop at the minimum! This year we will be offering fundraising incentives at the different levels starting at $450 total raised.

• 1 | $450 fundraising gets you an event custom Bivo bottle

• 2 | $550 fundraising gets you all of the above plus a cool 8x11 event art card and year membership to TMCC

• 3 | $750 fundraising gets you all of the above plus a custom LL Bean puffy jacket

• 4 | $3000 fundraising gets you all of the above plus lifetime membership to TMCC (plus the fancy pin), normally the $3k tier

Why fundraise for Tin Mountain Conservation Center? Tin Mountain is over 40 years old and has been presenting/hosting this event since 1996. Once all the MWARBH bills are paid, the remaining sponsorships, entrance fees, and funds raised support Tin Mountain’s mission to deliver experiential environmental education programs to schools and communities in the greater Mt. Washington valley and western Maine. For more than 25 years, TMCC and the Auto Road have worked together to give cyclists the opportunity to experience the full forces and beauty of nature. The annual MWARBH is Tin Mountain’s largest fundraising event and your commitment to race and raise funds helps support our mission. Thank you.

15. Transfers - Transfers are allowed for a $25 fee until registration closes on July 27 at 5 pm EST (or sooner if registration is full). The rider receiving the transfer will be responsible to pay the $25 surcharge and any difference in category costs at the time of the transfer. Transfers are not allowed into categories that are filled at the time of transfer.

How does the invite process work for participants to transfer their registration to someone else?

If a participant wishes to transfer their registration to a different participant they can choose to do so if the event director has enabled this feature. They can click on ‘Edit’ under their entry and choose ‘Transfer Registration’. Here they will be prompted to enter in the email address of the person receiving the transfer and click the button again.

Once the email has been sent, the person receiving the transfer will need to go through the checkout process to receive the transferred registration. They will need to go through this process regardless of if the transfer includes a surcharge. Once the transfer is successful the original participant will receive a confirmation email.

For participants in the fundraising category who want to transfer their registration, they will keep their fundraising page and a new one will be created for the recipient of the transfer. Funds raised are non-refundable.

16. Summit Vehicle Driver Information – Riders must have their own ride down from the summit. We will be setting up a rideshare page to facilitate participants connecting for rides. Although we will start a page to help participants connect with a driver, securing a ride down from the summit is solely the responsibility of the registered participant and not that of Tin Mountain Conservation Center or the Auto Road.

Driving to the summit is authorized by the Mt. Washington Auto Road and drivers need to be aware of the rules and regulations regarding use of the Auto Road. We encourage all riders and drivers to review the vehicle restrictions and other information posted on the Mount Washington Auto Road site: Click Here for Auto Road vehicle Restrictions as well as the information presented here.

Auto Passes for 2026 – As a registered rider, you will receive one “Auto Pass” with your bib/race number pick up. The “Auto Pass” is not free, it grants you access to drive through the gates and up mountain. Give it to your driver BEFORE they drop you off. Your support driver will need to have that Auto Pass to be permitted to drive to the summit and is subject to the passage fees described below. Fees will be paid at the toll house. The toll house is open on race morning from 6 am to 7:45 am. All support vehicles must be heading up by 7:45 am (subject to change and all details will be communicated to riders closer to the event). Note, the Auto Road rates on August 15, 2026 will apply. Refer to the Auto Road’s website linked above for current rates.

A driver with:

0 Auto Passes – The driver is not permitted to drive to the summit before the race.

1 Auto Pass – This driver is expected to pay normal passage fees for the Auto Road at the current Auto Road rate for car + driver plus the rate for an additional adult and/or child (ages 5-12; under 5 is free). Weight limit restrictions apply*. See Auto Road website.

2 Auto Passes + Passengers – This car + driver will receive FREE passage on the Auto Road and pay the rate for an additional adult and/or child (5-12; under 5 is free). Weight limit restrictions apply*. See Auto Road website.

3+ Auto Passes – This car + driver will receive FREE passage on the Auto Road and is not permitted to have any passengers. Weight limit restrictions apply*. See Auto Road website.

The interior weight in the support driver’s vehicle cannot exceed 900 lbs coming down (driver, passengers, bikes, gear). Please add up the weight of each passenger and any additional luggage to make sure it is under the vehicle restrictions on the Auto Road website (https://mt-washington.com/drive-yourself/auto-road-vehicle-restrictions). This is a CRITICAL safety issue on the Auto Road. Tested over and over again, we have found that if you put more than 1,000 lbs in most automobiles, the weight is too much for the transmission to hold back the vehicle on the steep grades. It can cause you to use your brakes too much, which will lead to overheated brakes, or worse. Please keep the interior weight of the car in check.

Direct any questions relating to the Mt. Washington Auto Road to Greg and Benjamin at [email protected].

17. Rider Staging

Top Notch – Top Notch riders stage first. These are Cat Pro-1-2 riders or those who completed the MWARBH race in 1:20 or less in the past eight years.

Individual Hillclimbers & Alternative Bikes – These categories will start in waves by age group. Medals will be given to age group winners. Race age is determined by your age on December 31, 2026. Some waves may be combined.

18. Mechanical Support – East Side Bike Guides

https://www.eastsidebikeguides.com

This information is subject to change. Please check the race website frequently for updates and changes and/or follow the event on Facebook.