This is a story of a lifetime about six boys growing up Ohio area of the county in the 1760s. New settlers were moving west from the east, and trappers were moving east to sell furs and other items. The boys were fascinated with the stories of the big rivers, the jagged mountains with snow year-round, the prairie that stretched out for miles, and the massive herds of buffalo that lasted for hours. They set off to find the beauty and hardships of their travels. So many unknowns face them, but the weather and Indians are the most dangerous. There are rains and floods, attacks by the Indians, the huge amounts of snow, survival throughout winter, the attack of a demon bear, and friendships formed with strangers.