Upon arriving at this river, Toph stated that the trail of shedding fur Appa was leaving allowed for Princess Azula and her allies to easily track them down. After a quarrel with Aang and Katara, the earthbender angrily gathered her belongings and left the group to clean Appa themselves. Aang and Katara used their waterbending to wash Appa as Sokka stood knee-deep in the river, brushing out the bison's coat. After Appa's bath, Aang took some of his fur and scattered it around, creating a fake trail in hopes of diverting Princess Azula. The river, however, was filled with clumps of Appa's fur, and the bison had broken several tree tops next to the river during his takeoff, enabling Azula to see through their charade.