An easy walk to Zion's big waterfalls - Zion National Park, Utah

At the head of a small box canyon in Zion National Park, Utah, are two big falls, which really gush after a rainstorm; you can get to either by an easy walk from the main canyon road.

Generally, the food trends discussed in this column trickle down. That is, they begin in the finedining sector of the industry and gradually become popularized, eventually reaching dinnerhouses and occasionally fast feeders in some altered form.The Radisson Suite Hotel's Sugar House restaurant in New Orleans serves a form of chicken nuggets. Dorothy Krupnick, a New York caterer, dusts them with sesame seeds and serves them on bamboo skewers as sesame chicken.Other chicken retailers have begun producing similar specialties. And there are signs that chicken nuggets are achieving acceptance in fine-dining and independent operations. In New York, Ottomanelli's Meat Market on the Upper East Side has created a variation on the chicken nugget called Chicken Rings. These are small donut-shaped pieces of chicken breast meat, lightly breaded and deep-fried. They are made by cutting circles of the meat from breast cutlets. The retail price is $4.50 a dozen, and they are also served at the three Ma-Ma Ottomanelli Cafes, also on the Upper East Side, at $3.95 a portion.

Zion is 43 northeast of St. George; from Interstate 15, take State 9 east 33 miles to the park. Admission is free now through March. The Weeping Rock Trail parking lot is off the main Zion Canyon Road, about 5 miles north of the visitor center (open 9 to 5 daily).

Chicken nuggets trickle up to tablecloth establishments

Chicken nuggets trickle up to tablecloth establishments

The more spectacular, called Weeping Rock, sheds unending tears as water percolates down from the headlands through the rock's thick sandstone layers. In spring and late fall, however, these tears become a torrent, as thundershowers send a cascade of water over the rock. The Weeping Rock Trail is an easy walk, just 1/2 mile round trip, and pleasant in fall's 65[deg.] days (summer temperatures reach into the 100s). The trail gets rather wet and slippery at the end; walk carefully and protect your camera from spray.Zion is 43 northeast of St. George; from Interstate 15, take State 9 east 33 miles to the park. Admission is free now through March. The Weeping Rock Trail parking lot is off the main Zion Canyon Road, about 5 miles north of the visitor center (open 9 to 5 daily).Now the company is rolling out a similar item called Chicken Tenders made only from the filet portion of the boneless breast. Preliminary market reports from Maine and Philadelphia are extremely positive.It appears that the industry is not going to be content to limit the breaded finger food segment to chicken. The U.S. Department of Agriculture ruling that will permit chemical binders in meat products has been reported as opening the door to restructured roast beef and meatloaf products and also to battered or breaded and fried products, similar to the chicken nuggets. But it is doubtful whether beef items could find their way into better tablecloth operations unless they are made with filet. Some operator might try foie gras "nuggets," however.The popularity of chicken may also revive the fish finger category, which has long been available in fast feeders, supermarkets and, as gougonettes of sole, in top French restaurants, such as Le Cirque. Surimi nuggets are a likelihood and, following on the heels of McDonald's Shanghai promotion, variations on the chicken theme can be expected to proliferate. Cajun nuggets, Indian nuggets, Italian nuggets with marinara sauce and MExican nuggets with salsa, sour cream and guacamole are all beginning to come into view in my crystal ball."McDonald's educated the consumer starting in July and August of 1983 with its multi-million-dollar investment, and we have now reached what I call a critical mass, with 25 to 30 chains serving some form of boneless chicken finger food and supermarkets coming along as well,c he said. "We have to be more creative about selling dark meat now." He added that the supply can meet the demand.But the most upscale interpretation is at the Casual Quilted Giraffe, Barry and Susan Wine's "grazing" restaurant in New York's AT&T building. The fried chicken nuggets are all dark meat because, Wine said, they have more flavor. They are batter-fried, peppery and sell for $12 a small portion or $22 a large plate with potato salad and a creamy honey-mustard dressing. Wine said they represent about 12% of all the orders in the appetizer or small- plate category. "People rarely order them as a main course," he added. "Usually it's a side for the table."Supermarkets have been selling nuggets frozen, and now Perdue has introduced a line of fresh prepared chicken nuggsts called Perdue Done It Chicken Breast Nuggets. These are all-white-meat flat boneless chicken pieces, batter dipped, breaded and then flash-fried so that all the consumer has to do is heat them briefly in the oven. According to George Murray, marketing director for the line, they are selling extremely well. Recently, the product was reformulated to eliminate sugar and MSG.The park itself is lovely in fall, cool and unhampered by the crowds that clog its main roads in summer. And the falls are an added reason to detour here if you're traveling on nearby Interstate 15 anytime in late fall or early winter.Blackened redfish is one example that comes to mind; pasta salad is another. Designer pizzas sporting atypical toppings, such as zucchini and eggplant, also qualify, even though the category began with a popular budget base and eventually reached the tablecloth market via California.Roy Rogers, Burger King, Wendy's and others have added some form of boneless breaded chicken to their menus. Some chains use a processed preformed chicken product, while others use cuts of chicken meat, mostly the white meat. The impact on the chicken industry has been enormous. According to Bill Roenigk, director of economic research for the National Broiler Council, more than a billion pounds of chicken will be made into nuggets in 1986.

The popularity of chicken may also revive the fish finger category, which has long been available in fast feeders, supermarkets and, as gougonettes of sole, in top French restaurants, such as Le Cirque. Surimi nuggets are a likelihood and, following on the heels of McDonald's Shanghai promotion, variations on the chicken theme can be expected to proliferate. Cajun nuggets, Indian nuggets, Italian nuggets with marinara sauce and MExican nuggets with salsa, sour cream and guacamole are all beginning to come into view in my crystal ball.

Author: Florence Fabricant

Camping Enjoyment For The Entire Family

Camping can be a wonderful and relaxing getaway for the whole family. If you prepare and plan before your departure, your whole family will enjoy what nature intended.

The most massive cone volcano in theCascade chain, Shasta juts abruptly from the landscape just north of Redding, dominating the region for a hundred miles. The 14,162-foot peak and its 12,330-foot sidekick, Shastina, even affect weather-- 70 inches of rain fall yearly on the wetter south slopes, only half as much on the north. Rivers are born here, fed by snowpack and a five-glacier wreath that slowly melts and percolates into the porous lava. Shasta has even spawned a crop of legends and mystics.Fishing areas usually require a fishing license. Bring a current license for that area if you plan on fishing. Conservation officers consistantly check these popular fishing areas. Getting caught without a license could ruin a fun family getaway.A good late summer getaway right off I-5,Shasta requires little advance planning (except for houseboat rentals). Sitting above Redding's blowtorch heat, the area has temperatures that vary with elevation: an August day could be 90| at 1,070-foot Shasta Lake, 65| at timber line.We outline a triangle tour from the bigmountain to Shasta Lake and the east-side parks, fishing streams, and small towns. You could fully explore the region in a week or more, based in a houseboat, campsites, or small area motels. Area code for telephone numbers listed is 916.The "fire mountain' of lava and ice: day-hiking, camping, summit climbingSecluded coves, water-ski fun at four-armed Shasta LakeDay-hiking on Shasta's shoulders is aneasier option. Carry plenty of liquids and dress in layers (cold winds can pick up). The Bunny Flat trailhead area, on the southwest slope at a cool 6,800 feet, is one good starting spot. A trail leads 1 1/4 miles through white pine and Shasta red fir to the Sierra Club's hut at 8,000-foot-high Horse Camp. From there, a causeway of giant stones leads 3/4 mile into Avalanche Gulch and great views of the valley below. The trailhead is 11 miles from the town of Mount Shasta on the Everitt Memorial Highway.

Before your next camping adventure, look into what your family would like for an enjoyable camping trip. Planning ahead and taking everything your family needs will make memories to last a lifetime.

Author: Suzanne Theriac

Will livestock drug cause dung crisis?

Will livestock drug cause dung crisis?

Its timber brought loggers and trains, andtowns sprouted beside mills and railroad junctions. Visitors find the area still sparsely populated, the towns slow paced (with jobs gone, some are fighting for survival), the high lakes and fishing streams uncrowded. Even busy Shasta Lake offers solitude in coves and draws.While feces of nontreated calves wereimmediately colonized by dung beetles in the field--sometimes by hundreds per "pat'--and later by earthworms, the dung of ivermectin-treated animals remained largely devoid of such invertebrates, according to a report in the June 4 NATURE by zoologists Richard Wall and Les Strong of Bristol University in England. Within 100 days, the researchers say, the control pats had "largely disappeared,' whereas the drug-containing dung samples "were still largely intact.' This situation could spell a serious, impending problem, especially to livestock farmers, Wall believes, because "for every pat [of dung] you have, you reduce available pasture land; cows won't graze up to the edge of their cow pat.'

Bill Hill, a spokesperson for theRahway, N.J.-based MSD-AGVET (a division of Merck & Co.), the drug's maker, says there have been no anecdotal reports from ivermectin users of problems with dung degradation. Moreover, he says, because the drug is registered only for infrequent administration by injection or as a paste, its effects on dung beetles would be limited to feces passed in the few days after each treatment. But Wall says while that may be true today, it would not be true if the drug were administered from a controlled-release implanted pellet, which he says is now under development--an application that would shed the drug into the feces daily for months.

Author: Janet Raloff

User-friendly Shasta

User-friendly Shasta

North of Dunsmuir at 3,280 feet, LakeSiskiyou is a bit cooler and is popular with families because of its sandy swimming beach, 50 picnic sites ($1 entry), and 299 campsites ($9 per night). It also offers a launch ramp, marina, and fishing for brown and rainbow trout and bass. It's off Barr Road 4 miles southwest of the town of Mount Shasta.On hot days, plan to finish hiking bynoon; leave afternoons for fishing, swimming, tubing, or picnicking along the Sacramento River--a 2-mile stretch meanders through the park.Camping. You can camp anywhere onshore with a fire permit, or in one of 1,200 campsites (the Forest Service is spending $750,000 for improvements). Don't expect wilderness--the roar of a ski boat might be your reveille. Your best shot at peaceful camps are on the McCloud, Pit, and Squaw arms. Boat-in camps are private and scenic but high off the water.Dung beetles and earthworms don'ttend to get a lot of respect--except when they're not around. Ecologically, these invertebrates provide a valuable housekeeping service. Not only do they break down and carry away dung, but in the process they also aerate soil and enhance the ability of water to percolate into the ground. For these reasons, growing veterinary use of the drug ivermectin in livestock to control parasites--such as roundworms--could have unintended environmental repercussions. A new British study shows that the drug, excreted in the feces, can exert a dramatic insecticidal effect on dung fauna.Hiking granite slopes, lazing along the Sacramento in Castle Crags parkRainbow trout draw fishermen to the upperSacramento. Besides the park's access, you can fish in Dunsmuir, where the river winds through City Park.East-side historic towns, trout streamsQueen of lumbermill days was McCloud,a company town founded in 1827; the millworkers were paid in scrip, spent it at the company store, lived in houses made of the pine they had milled. Today, the 1890s Mercantile Building on Main Street bustles with a hardware store and a cafe with great milkshakes.Water sports. The calmer waters of the Pitarm and Jones Valley area are best for skiing. Mike Suyderhoud's water-ski school offers 1-hour private lessons ($55) to one-week clinics ($395); call 275-3665. Wednesdays at 7 P.M. June through Labor Day, Silverthorn Resort near Jones Valley offers a free hour-long water-ski show; arrive early for best viewing. Or take a boat tour to the Shasta Caverns ($9, $4 for ages 4 through 12); call 238-2341.Bill Hill, a spokesperson for theRahway, N.J.-based MSD-AGVET (a division of Merck & Co.), the drug's maker, says there have been no anecdotal reports from ivermectin users of problems with dung degradation. Moreover, he says, because the drug is registered only for infrequent administration by injection or as a paste, its effects on dung beetles would be limited to feces passed in the few days after each treatment. But Wall says while that may be true today, it would not be true if the drug were administered from a controlled-release implanted pellet, which he says is now under development--an application that would shed the drug into the feces daily for months.Fishing. Of 22 species here, bass, catfish,and crappie are what you'll find most, June through August. Bass fishing (Pit River Arm is the best) is better now thanks to habitat improvement. As for trout, when the water warms they go deep; still, you can deep-water cast in front of the dam or try the cold waters farther up McCloud Arm.Before your next camping adventure, look into what your family would like for an enjoyable camping trip. Planning ahead and taking everything your family needs will make memories to last a lifetime.Plan your meals ahead of time. Breakfast can be as easy as disposable bowls, spoons, cereal and milk, donuts and juice/milk, or cooking eggs and bacon on a grate over a fire or on a propane stove. If you are a coffee person, plan ahead and bring a percolator that will make coffee over the fire or a propane stove. Lunch can be an easy lunchmeat sandwich and chips or a hotdog cooked over the fire. Dinner can be barbecue ribs on a grate over the fire with a stock pot filled with water and corn on the cob. Wash up can be easy with a plastic tub and some dish soap. Water service is provided at each lot. You might want to plan on bringing along a garden hose and sprayer. Local businesses frequently deliver pizzas if you plan on meeting the delivery driver at the campground entrance. Usually local businesses also have take out meals that would be easy to pick up in your golf cart. No matter your taste, plan ahead and take the necessary utencils.Long popular for houseboating, waterskiing,swimming, and fishing, Shasta Lake is big enough (30,000 acres) to offer secluded anchorages. In dry years like this one, the lake may be drawn down as much as 110 feet, but you can still enjoy water sports--just be more watchful of obstacles. Low water can harm crappie, blue-gill, and bass that spawn in the lake; warm-water releases can harm spring and fall runs of salmon in the Sacramento."Lonely as God and white as a wintermoon' was how early California poet Joaquin Miller described Mount Shasta.Keeping a portable toilet in your tent is a wonderful convience for night time needs. If you are camping with children, a trip to the shower house in the middle of the night is never convenient. If your campground does not provide a shower house, plan to take along a portable shower too. They are discrete and provide a luxury to the wilderness camper.Some wild areas once eyed by lumbermennow have protection. In 1984, the 36,615-acre Mount Shasta Wilderness and the 8,961-acre Castle Crags Wilderness were both declared. Before that, the Nature Conservancy secured 6 miles along the McCloud River.The old McCloud Cookhouse, 424 Main,serves up lumberjack breakfasts and Mexican dinners (open 8 to 8 daily except Tuesdays). Saturday nights through October, amble in to watch square dances in the hall next door-from 8 until the fiddler flags. Up the hill, the beautifully restored 1907 McCloud Guest House is now a bed-and-breakfast inn ($65 to $85); its restaurant serves dinner Wednesdays through Sundays (964-3160).Weekly rentals run $1,040 to $1,160 (6-sleeper),$995 to $1,725 (8-sleeper), $1,260 to $1,750 (10-sleeper), $1,550 to $1,850 (12-sleeper), with 30 to 40 percent discount from September 25 through May 7; see map for toll-free numbers. A week's gas might run around $60.If you plan on camping during hot weather or for several days, check on a location that sells ice. Usually ice is sold at the entrance to the campgrounds. Most campgrounds allow you to bring your own golf cart or provide rentals. Always choose the gas powered golf carts over the electric/battery powered ones. The electric/battery powered ones are slow and have low power. Most campgrounds have hilly areas that are almost imposible to climb with a low powered golf cart. The golf cart will provide you with easy transportation to shower houses, campground activities, swimming areas and much more. If you have a golf cart, most campgrounds will let you come and go from the campgrounds without an additonal entrance fee.Eight miles farther up, on Castle LakeRoad, is tiny Castle Lake. Studied by limnologists from UC Davis for 29 years, Castle Lake now serves as a "control' for gauging the clarity and health of Lake Tahoe. In a granite cirque at 5,475 feet, it's a cool and pretty spot for picnicking under Douglas fir.A landmark off I-5 near Dunsmuir, thegray granite outcroppings of Castle Crags State Park are carved into snaggletoothed fins. If you're in shape, try the short, steep Crags Trail--2 3/4 miles one way, 2,250-foot elevation gain--that begins in shading pines, ends in waist-high manzanita; wear sun protection and carry water. The 8,544-foot Crags fromation is in the wilderness area beyond.Each year, 7,000 hikers attempt the summit,but that takes planning and conditioning. For an information packet, call the Forest Service: 926-4511 or The Fifth Season Climbing Shop at 926-5555.In 1875, John Muir climbed the mountainand wrote, "Shasta is a fire mountain . . . built by successive eruptions of ash and lava pushed outward and upward like the trunk of a knotty, bulging tree.' (Shasta nearly killed Muir; caught in a snowstorm, he saved himself by huddling near a boiling sulfur spring--freezing on one side, roasting on the other.)When camping in a tent, you must prepare for dew/moisture to settle on the contents of your tent. To prevent wet bedding, place a tarp under the tent and place a box fan inside the tent. Most campgrounds provide electric service at each lot. Don't forget to bring your extention cord. An air mattress provides a bed as comfortable as yours at home. A portable air pump will have it at your desired firmness in a matter of minutes. Hammocks and cots also provide a restful night. To be comfortable, plan on bringing plenty of blankets or a good quality heavy sleeping bag. Even in the hottest days of summer, tent camping is always chilly. When camping during colder months, exponent tents and sleeping bags will keep you warm even in freezing temperatures.Houseboating help. In summer, Shastasports up to 600 houseboats--but with 365 miles of shoreline to explore, they really spread out. Our crew found a houseboat easy to drive but a bit slow to respond and a wind-catcher: compensate for wind when setting course and placing tie-up stakes. Newer models have microwave, wet bar, showers. Ask about two- and three-day packages, and reserve early--some dates are booked a year ahead, but you shouldn't strike out if your date are flexible.

The old McCloud Cookhouse, 424 Main,serves up lumberjack breakfasts and Mexican dinners (open 8 to 8 daily except Tuesdays). Saturday nights through October, amble in to watch square dances in the hall next door-from 8 until the fiddler flags. Up the hill, the beautifully restored 1907 McCloud Guest House is now a bed-and-breakfast inn ($65 to $85); its restaurant serves dinner Wednesdays through Sundays (964-3160).

New Mr. Coffee chief brews plans for products, markets

New Mr. Coffee Chief Brews Plans for Products, Markets

Most of his career, 26 years--from 1959 to 1985--was spent at Revere, the manufacturer of the well-known copper-bottom pots. From 1979 to 1985, he was president of the RevereWare Group.Popcorn machine - A paper bag or cardboard box in the microwave will do the job reasonably well. Having said that, air-popped popcorn is a wholegrain snack with little or no fat that most children enjoy. Maybe buy one to be shared around several families for children's parties?Pasta machine - If you eat masses of pasta and want to make your own from wholemeal flour and your own additives (e.g. spinach, tomato paste, etc.) then it may be worth it.Mr. Coffee, founded in 1968 by Marotta and Samuel Glazer, recorded sales last year of about $120 million. And, it was "a very profitable year" for the firm, said Eikenberg, noting that the figures represented a 20 percent increase in coffeemaker unit sales and a rise in its total market share to about one-third.But clearly, Eikenberg is thrilled with his new position, declaring: "It's thrilling to have the opportunity to lead a company as successful as Mr. Coffee that has a very strong customer base and consumer recognition."Electric carving or bread knife - If you need to carve neat slices off a roast very frequently, it may be worth it. Also if you don't buy sliced bread and need to cut three loaves at once. However, it is possible to cut neat slices with an ordinary carving or bread knife.Toasted sandwich maker - To be fair, cooking toasted sandwiches under the grill doesn't do as good a job, and frying sandwiches uses more oil. If you really like toasted sandwiches and eat them a lot, then it's worth it.It is a convenient opinion for Eikenberg, who on July 2 became president, chief operating officer and part owner of the company that produces one of the nation's most recognized home appliances, the Mr. Coffee automatic drip coffeemaker.He added that it has been his "dream" to lead and to own part of such a well-known and profitable company.Electric citrus juicer - They may look groovy, but a hand-held juicer gets just as much juice out, is easier to wash and is easier to store. Are you really such a wimp that you can't squeeze a lemon by hand?Although Eikenberg is at the helm of Mr. Coffee, he flatly declines being called "Mr. Coffee." That's a title only Vincent Marotta, the company's founder can claim, Eikenberg said.Mr. Coffee-brand filters recorded a sales increase of 15 percent last year, giving it a 50 percent market share, Eikenberg added.Eikenberg explained his intention by posing a rhetorical question: "Why have a name that no one knows? The trade knows the Mr. Coffee name, so why not use it?"Approximately 75 percent to 80 percent of Mr. Coffee's sales are through these retailers as well, he noted.So far, the newest Mr. Coffee is the second generation model of the basic Mr. Coffee machine, which is already being shipped to retailers.Coffee percolator - OK... I'll admit to having one of these, even though a French press/plunger does the job without using electricity.The new coffeemaker, he exclaimed, "does well. It makes good coffee, quicker and neater."He declined to identify the company's 1986 net income.Hair dryer - This is a chemical-free way of killing nits, so if you have school aged children, it's worth having and using regularly. But remember to air-dry your hair from time to time - it's good for your hair as well as a power saver.Eikenberg, 50, is a 28-year veteran of the housewares industry. And he served as the 1985 president of the National Housewares Manufacturers Association.The company's other branded product, coffee, has been an "also ran" for a while now but Eikenberg is committed to turning that around. He said Mr. Coffee "needs to work on merchandising and marketing the product," commenting that "nothing Mr. Coffee has will remain weak for long."

Approximately 75 percent to 80 percent of Mr. Coffee's sales are through these retailers as well, he noted.

Author: Laura Liebecik

Good eating habits

Good Eating Habits

It's never too soon to teach your children good eating habits. Studies have shown that four year old children will eat the same foods they did at two. There's a good chance that, as an adult, they will continue the same eating patterns. According to Gerald Berenson, MD, "By age six months, the pathology of cardiovascular disease is already percolating." Dr Berenson, the director of the Bogalusa Heart Study, believes children's diets should contain less fat and salt. The study followed 50 children the age of six months to four years, looking at their eating habits at various ages. They found that the eating habits of two year olds were continued through to the age of four. It's easier to establish good eating habits early rather than change eating habits later in life. Limiting excesses of salt, fat (particularly saturated fats), and cholesterol at an early age may prevent problems and the difficult task of a major diet change latter in life.