Coming-of-age in the Midwest of the late 60's, Andrew Starkey takes a comical road trip to Colorado. He falls in love with the Rocky Mountains and Nancy, a local girl. Despairing at separation from these two new loves, Andrew flunks out of college and gets drafted. He meets Danny Sevilla, a fellow soldier with a Colorado connection that serves as catalyst for their friendship. After stateside training, they serve together at a Special Forces outpost in Vietnam.

Returning to civilian life, the friends reconnect in Denver. Andrew works exhausting days and, at night, cruises the clubs looking for someone to fill the void left when Nancy gives up on him and moves on. Then he meets Susan.
Danny has found easy money in the drug trade and Andrew's warnings are ignored by his friend. However, time is running out for Danny and the two young men move toward a tragedy that neither could have imagined.