The Beginning on the Mountain

In the summer of 1963, in rural Wyoming, two young ranch hands, Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist, were hired by a man named Joe Aguirre. Their job was to herd sheep on Brokeback Mountain during the grazing season. The isolation of the mountain created an atmosphere of solitude, away from the constraints of society. Days of labor and cold nights by the fire gradually built a fragile companionship.

One night, after heavy drinking, an unexpected shift occurred. Jack made an advance toward Ennis. Despite initial resistance, Ennis reciprocated. What began as a singular act soon deepened into an unspoken emotional and physical bond. Ennis attempted to dismiss the encounter as a one-time occurrence, yet the relationship persisted in the hidden hours of the night. Toward the end of their assignment, the tension between them escalated, resulting in a physical altercation that left both men bruised. As they parted, Ennis casually mentioned leaving a shirt behind—unaware of its future significance.

Separate Lives, Lingering Connection

Ennis returned to his hometown and married Alma Beers, his longtime fiancée. The couple later had two daughters, Alma Jr. and Jenny. Meanwhile, Jack sought work with Aguirre the following summer but was turned away. Aguirre had become aware of Jack and Ennis’s behavior on the mountain and expressed disapproval with thinly veiled contempt.

Jack relocated to Texas, where he met Lureen Newsome, a rodeo rider and daughter of a prosperous farm machinery businessman. They married and had a son, integrating into Lureen’s family’s business world. Jack took on a sales position, though his father-in-law treated him with persistent disdain and skepticism.

The Reunion and Renewed Longing

Four years passed. Jack traveled to Wyoming to see Ennis. Their reunion was immediate and passionate. In a moment of private intimacy, witnessed accidentally by Alma, the depth of their bond was revealed. At a motel, Jack proposed they build a life together. Ennis, however, refused. His reluctance was rooted in fear and memory—a childhood recollection of a man who had been murdered for suspected homosexuality.

Despite their diverging lives, Jack and Ennis continued to meet, under the pretense of fishing trips. These moments became their only refuge, even as their marriages declined. Ennis and Alma divorced in 1975. Upon learning this, Jack returned with renewed hope, suggesting they finally live together. Once again, Ennis declined, unwilling to be separated from his daughters.

Strained Relationships and Hidden Lives

Alma retained custody of the children and later married Monroe, a grocery store manager. Ennis accepted an invitation to Thanksgiving dinner but departed abruptly after a confrontation with Alma about Jack. Their argument, laden with long-standing suspicions, marked the final rupture in their communication.

Ennis entered a brief relationship with a waitress named Cassie, though it lacked emotional depth. Jack, on the other hand, developed a friendship with another couple, Randall and Lashawn Malone. It was implied that Jack and Randall shared a discreet affair. The double lives both men led became heavier over time.

Their meetings became less frequent. On one occasion, Ennis explained he would be unavailable for several months due to work. The announcement led to a heated exchange, ending with Jack holding a weeping Ennis. The emotional toll of their arrangement was becoming increasingly unbearable.

Loss and Revelation

Later, a postcard Ennis sent to Jack was returned, marked “Deceased.” In shock, Ennis called Jack’s number. Lureen, Jack’s wife, answered. She explained that Jack had died in an accident—a tire had exploded while he was changing it. As she recounted the event, Ennis imagined a more violent fate, envisioning Jack beaten to death by men wielding a tire iron.

Lureen mentioned Jack’s wish for his ashes to be scattered on Brokeback Mountain. Ennis traveled to visit Jack’s parents to fulfill that request. Jack’s father refused, insisting his son’s remains be buried in the family plot. However, Jack’s mother allowed Ennis into Jack’s childhood room.

There, Ennis discovered a shirt he had thought he lost years ago on Brokeback Mountain. It had been preserved by Jack, nestled inside one of Jack’s own shirts. Ennis held the garments close and wept silently. Jack’s mother permitted him to take them with him.

A Life Marked by Silence

Years later, Ennis lived alone in a small trailer. Time had made him more reclusive, the echoes of the past lingering in silence. One day, Alma Jr. visited to inform him of her engagement to a man named Kurt. She asked for her father’s blessing and invited him to the wedding.

Initially hesitant due to his job, Ennis eventually agreed to attend. After she left, forgetting her jacket, he placed it in his closet. Inside hung the two shirts—Jack’s wrapped within his own—next to a postcard of Brokeback Mountain, pinned to the door.

In that quiet moment, Ennis stood still. The memories, the pain, and the love remained unspoken. With tears welling in his eyes, he murmured softly, “Jack, I swear…”