Srinagar, April 9 -- ByFarah Zaidi

I travelled to Mushkoh Valley this spring with a single hope: to glimpse the Himalayan brown bear waking from hibernation.

But I found something far more demanding than a checklist sighting.

Early spring turns the highway to Drass into a question mark. Snow grips the valleys, rivers rush with melted ice, and the mountains watch with absolute indifference.

Avalanches had struck the pass that morning, blocking the route and claiming lives. Our convoy halted cold, engines died, and voices dropped.

We sat for hours in that suspended state where the Himalaya reminds you who sets the rules here. Cold seeped through the doors, and clouds covered the peaks.

We shared food with strangers in nearby vehicles,...