Helena Ward might be halfway through her life, which isn't special, just unsettling. Often, following a day of dealing with her busy family, lackluster career and the ceaseless conveyor belt of demands for her time, she stares up at the sky from her suburban neighborhood and wonders if where she is, is all there is.

When a one-two punch of unexpected news rattles her, it sparks an adventure. After much convincing, Helena takes her close circle of girlfriends for a section hike on the Appalachian Trail. In the Georgia mountains, led by their guide, Granola, they encounter punishing injuries, inclement weather and the unpredictable elements of human nature.

Throughout the roller coaster trek, with its turbulent rises and falls, the women each confront the weight they carried onto the trail. They must decide what to shed and what to pack out when they return to the comforts and constraints waiting for them back home.