The Oregon Trail, 1850... grueling, unforgiving, dangerous. And it's their road to a new life! Clyde Henderson, a disgruntled carpenter from Philadelphia, desperately wants to start over. After reading an advertisement promising heaven on earth in Oregon Territory, he and his wife Anna, pack up their belongings and head west. They're fortunate to join up with a wagon train in Missouri. Troubles begin when their self-appointed leader absconds at the first faint sign of trouble. Thankfully a formidable rancher, Landon Morland, takes charge and becomes the train's new leader. He asks Clyde to be his right-hand man and, who despite his doubts, agrees. As the wagon train plods across the hostile plains, Clyde's former life fades into obscurity. His eldest son, Matt, becomes a man in a matter of days; fatigue is a constant companion; constant threats of Indian attacks, cattle go missing, disease ravages half the group, and a trio of 49ers take advantage of the emigrants' kindness. Through these trials and more, Anna remains faithful to the God she serves and Clyde learns that in the wild country, there is little else to lean on. But will he and his city-bred family rise above all that comes against them? Will they hold out and survive this unforgiving frontier fraught with unknown dangers? Will they endure the rigorous demands on their road to independence? They have no other choice - their very lives depend on it!