The tracks don't seem to be buried too terribly far, a few inches at most. Bruce is able to take soil samples without issue, though nothing seems odd or remarkable about them to the naked eye. It's just... it's just dirt. Probably.

In any case, it's difficult to say whether this is the same river they were warned about, so it's a good call to avoid being careless. They make it to the other side without being swallowed by anything, though there is a bit of a churning splash in the water as Jason and Bruce pass over. It's probably nothing.

Bruce can try to make scorch marks on the trees with his lantern flame, and while the fire doesn't catch on the bark, it does produce heat, so with some patience he'll be able to do it. It won't feel entirely pleasant, though. The flame touching the trees almost seems as if some inner part of him is being prodded. It's not exactly painful, but it's deeply uncomfortable for sure.

The journey takes a long, long time. Most of a "day", in fact. The trio sees nothing but more tracks and more trees, until, rather suddenly— a path! They've stumbled upon a sort of trail through the forest, which goes both east and west. Assuming they've been map-making as Bruce intended, they'll realize they're roughly in longitude with Bonfire Square. If they turn left on this path, they'll probably end up there.

Additionally, the tracks continue north. For that matter, they probably also continue south, back where the trio started, if they wish to backtrack.