Even though I had never met Senpai Kenzo before, we quickly became close after I picked him up at the Denver International Airport. I knew our days would be filled with training, but wanted to make sure Senpai received a strong introduction to the Western United States. Colorado is well known for the Rocky Mountains and the active lifestyle here. Its people like to get out into nature and often go on hikes up into the mountains. As a result, there are many trails which provide beautiful views of the region.
With Kenzo-senpai visiting for 11 days, I knew we needed to make time for an impressive hike.
We set aside half a day for Royal Arch, one of the most famous trails in Boulder. The elevation at the start of the trail is 1.74 km (1.1 miles.), and it only goes up from there.
This didn’t deter Kenzo-senpai, who had arrived in Colorado from the Miami dojo, and he was prepared to overcome the dramatic difference in elevation. At the end of the trail there is a giant arch of stone, which gives the trail its name.
The only thing that can compete with the Arch, and maybe make up for the lack of breath, is the view it provides. The vista includes the whole of Boulder County and on a clear day you can easily see Denver, almost 50 km (30 miles) away.
Of course, I also made sure to introduce Kenzo-senpai to a variety of American cuisine, as well as the strong micro-brewery culture here in Colorado. With all of our training, we had plenty of opportunity to follow-up with a BIRUDO. It was a lot of fun to have Senpai Kenzo here.