Kate MacKenzie is a young, recently widowed biology teacher in modern-day Seattle. When her grandfather suffers a heart attack, she rushes home to his bedside in Colorado. She wonders whether to stay in the Northwest or move back to the Rockies and take over her grandparents' antique business. While out snowshoeing, she builds a fire in a cave and rests while a storm rages outside. When a bear startles her, she backs away and falls down a passage into another time, where a Ute Indian named Victor befriends her. But now she's trapped in 1863. As this intriguing story unfolds, Kate struggles to survive in the dangerous world of territorial Colorado while she tries to return to the 21st century. Summoning her courage, she explores white and native cultures, develops friendships, finds romance, and maintains hope despite the uncertainty of time travel.