It's 1950, and Ben and Harry, two young men from Wisconsin, know their fun is about to come to an end. Ben will soon depart for the war in Korea while Harry will hit the books as a college freshman. They decide to end the summer on a high note with what will certainly be an adventurous canoe trip to Lake Superior, known to the Chippewa as Gitche Gumee. They fish, hunt, and explore as they did when they were younger, but soon realize that their friendship--and the river--is not as they remember it.