*WED Jun 25* The route from the high school to Otis, CO suggested a dirt road. I chose to ride all the way on Hwy 34 from Akron to Otis because the bike lane was 7 ft wide. The route published for those who plan to walk every step of the way—they classify themselves as Spirit Walkers—was 3 miles beyond Otis. I got to Otis in time to do some journaling and to adjust my bike seat. We have a rest day tomorrow in Yuma, CO. I’ll get some hardware there and have time to fix it. We set up the tents in the City Park right across from the Presbyterian Church. A highway patrol came and said that his department was going to help find us places to stay inside because the weather was too dangerous the next few days. The cooks were cooking dinner under a patio roof in the park when the wind and lightening came in. We rushed the meal prep from our ‘kitchen’ to the Otis Presbyterian Church. The meal was ready in half an hour and we ate dinner in the church hall. While we were eating the storm broke. There was lightening, wind, and torrents of rain. The wind was so strong that I feared that the tent I had my equipment in had blown down. In an hour the rain let up to a steady sprinkle. By that time the church host told us that we could sleep in the church hall. I checked my tent. There was some water on the floor but my equipment was dry. I chose to spend the night in the tent rather than take my equipment through the rain and re-settle in the church hall. *THU Jun 26* The night before, in the church hall, it was announced that we would leave at 8 AM. The route was only 13 miles from Otis to Yuma, CO. At 8 it looked like it would take another ½ hour before people would be packed up and ready to March. I left at 8 on my bike and got to Yuma by 10:30. I shopped for material to fix my bike seat and got to the Laundromat by noon. After lunch I set up the tent—labeled Tasha Mahal, a 9 person tent. Before dinner there was a meeting focused on sharing the impact the Marchers wanted to have on friends, acquaintances, and society in general. There were a multitude of opinions, but no way to establish a consensus. After dinner a thunderstorm arrived. We had received permission to go to a church, which was a half block from the park. So we went to the church to avoid danger from the lightning. It rained for an hour and ½. At that point we were given permission to stay in the church. I returned to the tent, grabbed my air-mattress and sleeping bag, returned to the church, and spent the night there, so grateful to be inside. -- Peace, David