The Other Side of the Mountain

Jill Kinmont skims through her years on the Bishop high school ski team, guided by coach Dave McCoy, alongside best friends A. J. and Linda. The trio idolizes the famous Dick Buek and dreams of one day skiing in the Olympic Games together. These early ambitions set the stage for a life defined by the mountains and competition.

During a ski competition, Jill's descent ends in a crash that shatters her carefree mountain world. Dick Buek appears as part of the aftermath, giving her a brief lesson about not fighting gravity. From this moment, his reckless charisma becomes entwined with her fate.

That summer, A. J. Nicholson is diagnosed with polio and placed in an iron lung, forcing everyone to confront illness and fear. Jill trains hard on the Rockin' K guest ranch, believing she is competing for both herself and her friend. The summer becomes a test of endurance and hope.

Jill, hobbling on a crutch, agrees to ride with Dick in his airplane after spotting his plane nearby. The thrill and danger of the ride deepen her fascination with his fearless world. The encounter cements Dick's hold on her imagination, despite their different paths.

In winter, Jill wins regional slalom races and grows closer to Wallace “Buddy” Werner, a male rival who shares the circuit's spotlight. She still carries feelings for Dick, creating a complicated triangle of affection and ambition. The season solidifies her standing on the ski circuit.

At the Snow Cap in Alta, Utah, Jill and Buddy aim for Olympic visibility, while Dave warns about the dangerous Corkscrew bend. Jill resolves to push through and overtake her main rival Andrea Mead Lawrence, setting the stage for a fateful final run. The tension of the Corkscrew foreshadows the tragedy to come.

During the final race, Jill loses control and tumbles over a cliff, only to be carried away by a medical basket to Salt Lake City. Doctors reveal a broken neck and a severed spinal cord, altering her life forever and making a return to skiing impossible. The grim diagnosis seals the new, permanent reality of quadriplegia.

Jill relocates to a Los Angeles rehabilitation facility to undergo intensive therapy, steadily regaining some sensation in her fingers and arms. She clings to the hope of walking again and rebuilding a life beyond the slope. The rehabilitation marks the slow onset of adaptation to a different future.

Buddy Werner visits, sparking a renewed sense of romance, but Jill sits in a wheelchair and demonstrates she cannot stand. The moment reveals the gulf between longing and the hard truth of her condition, prompting Buddy's quiet heartbreak. Jill's resolve begins to tilt toward a new acceptance of herself.

Dick arrives, wheeling Jill through a crowded intersection to confront her sense of loss and insist she stop feeling sorry for herself. His tough encouragement becomes a catalyst for embracing the present rather than clinging to past dreams.

Dick takes Jill home to Bishop by plane and stays with her family, professing love and proposing marriage when he can build a home. Jill expresses doubt about walking or making love, challenging the idea that a future with him is simple. The relationship becomes a poignant symbol of hope amid limitation.

A trip to the nearby Paiute/Shoshone reservation reveals a community in need of teachers and opportunity. Jill resolves to earn a teaching certificate and even asks to teach at the reservation, pursuing purpose beyond her own dream of skiing. Her drive to contribute transforms her path from patient to educator.

Before Jill can realize the wedding plan, a telephone call reveals that Dick has died in a plane crash. The news shatters her hopes of a life with him and reframes her future in terms of resilience rather than romance. The tragedy becomes a turning point toward independence.

Jill pursues higher education, takes classes at a university, and begins teaching younger kids at a rehabilitation facility. She fights for a credential despite barriers, eventually securing a job as a teacher at the reservation. The pursuit marks a shift from dependence to leadership.

Now with a career in teaching, Jill responds to a student’s question about marriage by recalling Dick’s words about luck. She wheels toward the school, with her students walking beside her, embodying a life shaped by both loss and resilience.