Srinagar, July 15 -- I first heard of Labkhal from a herdsman near the Shaliganga River, where conversations happen in half-whispers and gestures. He had described it as a place "where cattle rest like kings, and water sings all day."

I held on to that description like a compass. And now, with my backpack light and my boots broken in, I was ready to follow the trail.

On the morning of my journey through Doodhpathri, the air felt cleaner, cooler, like spring had somehow overstayed its welcome. I didn't linger and crossed the Shaliganga on foot, feeling the icy shock of its current even through my shoes.

The river was swollen from the melting snows of early summer, and the woods on the other side smelled of pine resin and damp bark. I tu...