Words and photos: Daniel Simmons (@the_ibuprofen_chronicles)
Additiona photos by Paul O’Boyle, Paul Burke (@mtnbikerburke) and Andy “GBJ” Bittner.
Just a short ride from the District of Columbia is the legendary ditch of Riverdale. Located in Maryland, known for blue crabs and Old Bay seasoning, this DIY ditch project has been around since the 80’s. Over that time the ditch has changed care givers hand several times. The new care giver of the Riverdale ditch is Ray Conklin, and he has been a driving force for new projects and upkeep on the ditch.
Ray first heard of the ditch in 2015, at that time he was in southern Maryland about an hour and forty-five minutes away. Ray and his crew that care for the ditch now have done some extensive projects to the ditch. Some of these include the bowled-out backend, the quarter between the drain pipes and the pool coping on the extension. Also touching up the roll ins and adding new ones as well.
With aging concrete comes the decay and roughness. The base of the ditch was suffering, and a solution was put into place. The locals mixed up some thin set and skimmed the entire base of the ditch. This gave the ditch a new life in its old age. Making the base stateable again was key to keeping this DIY going.
Another tactic to battle the elements has been used to preserve the aging concrete of the banks. About once a year, give or take, Wes Parks comes and paints the ditch. This last time it took 10 gallons. Painting the concrete helps preserve it and shields it from the harsh East Coast winters, which has a very negative effect on concrete.
A lot work and skills have gone into this DIY. Many hands have played a part in keeping this spot going. Keeping a good relationship with the neighbors is key. Keeping it clean and being respectful of the houses that butt up to it keeps this spot going. If you get a chance to visit, please respect the spot .
