I was at Lake Shasta when it first blew and later that summer was driving up to northern Idaho and there were huge piles of ash that had been plowed from the freeway. We also got a dusting at Lake Pend Oreille while sleeping on the beach during one of the afterxhoxks
No, they recommend regular motor oil but I figure if synthetic oil is good for any good engine then it's good for mine. I'm not gonna let their recommendation affect my choice.
The blast must have gone right over my head. Going over my head is not at all an unusual occurrence for me, or so my wife tells me. When we bought a house in Aloha that same year we got some heavy ash on the roof of our new house.