I have a volcanic ash story that certifies me as able to recognize it and curse at it freely.
In May of 1980 the weather had turned nice in Idaho, so being young and prone to doing things just because we hadn't done before, we decided to go backpacking with another couple, the objective being to view the mountain goats on the highest peaks in the bitter-root mountains on the Idaho/Montana border, and pick a few grocery bags full of morel mushrooms for drying, as they were plentiful that year.
One morning, we woke up to snow-like grit falling from the sky. It only took a second to realize it wasn't snow flurries. We had a sort of council to figure out what to do. The other guy on the trip was convinced it was nuclear fallout from seattle or portland being bombed, as at the time, due to the elections and all, cold war sabre rattling was at a high pitch. But since no one was sick, which we figured would be happening if the dust was radioactive fallout, we were puzzled, but not altogether convinced that we were safe from radioactivity. I had a pregnant wife along, i was not happy about the turn of events.
Anyway, a couple inches of it fell, then we had a more immediate concern... water. The streams were flowing a gray, thick, viscuous mess (not sure how the fish survived it)
We rationed the water we had and hiked out, but weren't convinced WWIII hadn't commenced until we got to the radio in my pickup. All the radio had on was chattering about Mt. St. Helens, which finally relieved our fears.
The pickup was to be not long for the world, but we made it home okay. The crystallization of obsidian from volcanic ash happens on non-jet engines without good air cleaners just like it does on airliners.
So keep your feet planted on the ground, fuagf, until the dust clears in your hemisphere.
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