Life on the Nile
"Huhoohaha." That's the first Fresh Tracks ever heard from Ronald Kral. It's his rather risible online alias (say it five times fast and you'll sound like you're doing a rain dance). Born and raised in Los Angeles, Kral, 44, has been globe-trotting for 23 years. In the few short months we've been acquainted, he's faked out muggers in Addis Ababa, been held at gunpoint in the mountains of Yemen, and survived a terrifying dip in a whirlpool at the headwaters of the Nile. In late July, he replied to our e-mailed questions from a cybercafé in Uganda.

First, the whirlpool. How did you end up in it, and what did you do to get out?
There was little I could do. That's what life jackets are for. I had opted to swim the last two miles of the journey alongside the raft. The whirlpool dragged me down several feet underwater, an eerie experience indeed. Seconds later I resurfaced and could breathe again.

If readers want to raft, rather than swim, the source of the Nile, whom should theycontact? And when is the best time to go?
There are two outfitters, both in Uganda: Nile River Explorers (011-256-43-120236; http://www.raftafrica.com) and Adrift Uganda (256-41-268670; adrift@starcom .co.ug). Since Uganda is on the equator, it has much the same weather year-round. A few years from now a proposed dam could end rafting there, so the time to raft the source of the Nileis soon.

How do you make a living?
Odd jobs. They range from construction to English lessons, as well as adventure-tour planning.

If your days were numbered, where would you be sure to go?
New Zealand. I've had visions of a quasitropical paradise somewhere, but have yet to discover it. Perhaps it's there.

So what does "Huhoohaha" mean, exactly?
While in the Himalayas, members of my expedition were on a parallel ridge and I wanted to get their attention. Shouting a name would have been useless. Then I heard a crow. That's it! "Huhoohaha!" It worked.

All singletrack, all the time
If you haven't checked out Fruita, Colorado, mountain biking's destination du jour, now may be the time. With the opening of seven miles of new trails in September, two of Fruita's most popular rides—7.8-mile Mary's Loop and 6-mile Lions Loop—can be ridden entirely on singletrack: no jeep-road traversing required. Three hours west of Denver, Fruita, with its 600-plus miles of trails, is fast becoming a hub for high-desert riding.

Stellar weather—clear, 60-degree days—is practically guaranteed through October. "The fall season is our secret, although that's becoming less and less so," says Troy Rarick, co-owner of Fruita's only bike shop, Over the Edge Sports (970-858-7220), and author of the local trail bible, The Fruita Fat Tire Guide. In fact, the town expects more than 500 visitors on October 14 for the Chet Peach Ride, Race, and Pig Roast. For trail details, visit http://www.fruitamountainbike.com.