If most people don't face the consequences of harming others, they feel overwhelmed by guilt and regret. In 1964, Cash Boone, a Florida honors graduate, flees after failing every college course. Only he and his professors know. Harsh ranch work worsens his troubles in Wyoming, 2,000 miles from home. The foreman despises him, but the owner's wife desires him, and her passion intensifies.
Accused of causing a woman's death by a grizzly, he hides in darkness with an Indian friend's help. Hunger grips him, pushing him to the brink of survival. The pursuit of lawmen increases the danger of his escape.
Cash scales treacherous mountains, clutching unforgiving rocks to survive. Strong winds threatened to pull him into the abyss. Fueled by unwavering determination, he presses onward, sweating and cold.
His father's letter crushes his shattered spirit. He attempts to end his life by climbing Grand Teton's most dangerous elevation, where demise awaits. The majestic mountain echoes his suffering.
Sights, sounds, and sensations of Cash's past troubles his mind as he faces the challenge. The mountain speaks. "I know you're here." Amidst changing, brutal weather, the summit's ethereal communication transforms his life. The convergence of nature, earth, a girl, and a guitar, once a cause of his failures, triggers a profound transformation.
Upon returning to college, a prestigious record company offers fame and fortune, but Cash's toughest dilemma arises. Sacrifice friends for wealth and fame, or endure hardships. Will he resist wealth or harm companions? Observe Cash's amazing journey from new adult to adulthood with help from an Indian, Mother Earth, a mountain, a guitar, and a girl.