Young Pierce Phillips, green, naïve, self-assured and with little money, finds himself in Dyea, Alaska. He is soon parted from his money by smooth-talking gamblers. Now, penniless, hungry and with no means to reach the Klondike, he is forced to accept a job hauling supplies for other would-be prospectors over the perilous Chilkoot Pass. During one such expedition he meets Countess Courteau, who plays a major role in his future. His Yukon adventures change Pierce from youth to a man, a seasoned veteran who has learned that love can be a stronger desire than Gold Fever...