It's 1868, and Tom Dunagan is reeling from nightmares of the Civil War and grieving the death of his wife. Driven by wanderlust and a deep desire for peace, he leads his daughter, Brooke, into the wilds of western Colorado. Unlike many other white prospectors and settlers who dreamed of western travel or wealth from mining exploration, the father-daughter duo stumbled into an adventure that would change their lives forever. During an unexpected encounter with a small group of Ute Indians, Tom revives the band's leader from a near-death encounter with a bear. In return, the leader of the Yellow Bear Utes offers Tom and Brooke protection and companionship to travel within the Great Circle of Life that is driven by the cycle of water through the seasons. Following the moons of the Ute calendar over the course of a year, the father and daughter pair witness and participate in the daily life and special ceremonies of the Ute people, learning their ways and growing to respect the band's deep understanding of the wilderness that is their home. When an ancient Ute enemy retaliates after a raid, Tom and Brooke realize how precarious life can be for the people they have come to love. And when the mighty wilderness closes in on him and his daughter, Tom realizes that neither his university education nor his family wealth can save them. Without help from the Yellow Bears, the adventure that he and his daughter have fallen into might just kill them both.