Adapted from the short story from Nathaniel Hawthorne, a group of unlikely companions in the 60's have come together to hike the mountains of the Ozarks. Of course they all have dreams of finding the Great Carbuncle, a giant gem in local Native American folklore, but they mostly want to just experience nature. When in the middle of their hiking vacation, the weather turns sour and covers the land in ice and snow. That's when they can see the red glow of the legendary gem. They decide to help each other to find it...at first. But backstabbing and treachery ensue, and the strangers must decide if the gem is worth killing each other over.