The Time I Went Camping, Took Edibles and Thought My Friends Were Going to Kill Me

During the summer of 2022, while residing in Oregon, I embarked on a memorable trip to the Columbia River Gorge with friends. We indulged in an incredible riverside picnic, relishing the scenic views and even took a refreshing swim while sipping on White Claws. Fueled by the joy of the day, we spontaneously decided to extend our adventures with a camping trip to Bend for the upcoming Labor Day weekend.

Given the busy weekend, we chose a first-come, first-served camping arrangement. Xoey, our friend, volunteered to secure a campsite at Eastlake in Deschutes National Forest by waking up early. Meanwhile, Albert, Natasha, and I gathered at Albert’s house, successfully fitting all my camping gear into Natasha’s car. After a brief stop at Starbucks and the Electric Lettuce Dispensary in Portland, we hit the road.

We made our way through the Mt. Hood National Forest and finally arrived in Bend, Oregon, after a 3-hour and 30-minute drive. It was around 6 PM when we reached the campsite, just in time to set up our tents and catch the breathtaking sunset over the lake. The campsite was situated within a caldera, offering us a stunning view as the sun gracefully vanished beyond the caldera’s rim.

For dinner, we prepared spaghetti and gathered around the fire to exchange spooky stories. Despite my usual aversion to edibles due to their impact on my mental state, I inexplicably decided to try one when Albert offered. As the night unfolded and Xoey and Albert recounted chilling tales, including experiences from Xoey’s work at the penitentiary, uncontrollable laughter overcame me. A peculiar blend of smoke, fatigue, and the edible's effects made their stories strangely familiar and ridiculously amusing.

At bedtime, I entered my tent, but an increasing paranoia lingered. The silence outside, coupled with the fading firelight, heightened my anxiety. Since Albert wanted to change privately, I stepped out barefoot to brush my teeth. Amused by my bare feet, my equally paranoid friend Josh couldn't resist snapping a picture.

After returning to my tent when Albert finished changing, my paranoia heightened when Jess suddenly called my name. She mentioned having my knife and not wanting to leave it outside, so she handed it to Josh. He stood in front of my tent with the knife, casting a looming shadow. The combination of paranoia and the sight of Josh holding the knife instilled fear for my safety. Muttering, "This isn't happening," I cautiously opened the tent door, half-expecting harm, and quickly hid the knife under my sleeping bag.

The paranoia continued to consume me, preventing me from falling asleep. I was convinced that Albert might attempt to take the knife from me, leaving me unable to trust my friends any longer. Recognizing my distress, Albert stayed awake and engaged in a conversation with me for the next 30 minutes, doing his best to calm me down. Eventually, we both agreed that it would be wise to return the knife to our friend Jess, who took it to her truck for safekeeping.

As time passed, the effects of the edible gradually wore off, and after about an hour of talking with Albert, I started to feel more at ease. Inside the caldera, the temperature significantly dropped, and it became apparent that our camping group was ill-prepared. Albert hadn’t brought a sleeping bag and only had blankets for warmth. In an effort to help him, I emptied my backpack, layering my clothes over him and even placing the backpack over his feet to provide additional insulation. Fortunately, he managed to make it through the night without suffering from hypothermia.

Looking back, I discovered that the gummies my friends had purchased had a higher CBD dosage than they anticipated, approximately 15 mg. As a result, the experience turned out to be quite potent, leading to delayed reactions for Albert while I began to come down from the intense high. It was a wild night filled with heightened paranoia, yet surprisingly, it became one of the most memorable camping trips I have ever embarked on. The campsite’s breathtaking beauty and the unforgettable moments we shared will forever be etched in my memory.