Were we ever so young?

Daniel Loxton as a young shepherd, c. 1997. (Photo by Dennis Loxton. Used with permission.)

1500–2000 sheep crossing bridge on Boswer logging access road in northern British Columbia, Canada. CLICK TO ENLARGE. (Photo by Daniel Loxton)

I believe this photo of me leaning on my crook was taken c.1997 on a cutblock (clearcut, tree plantation) on the Bowser logging road, off the remote Cassiar Highway north of Meziadin Junction (on the British Columbia side of the Alaska Panhandle). This should be the Google Streetview of the turnoff to the Bowser logging road, and this Google satellite view puts it in perspective (especially if you zoom out a few steps). It’s hard to tell from the perspective of the photo of the bridge crossing (right) but the logging bridge across the river was a hairy one—long, rickety, and honestly kind of crazy to cross on foot with 1500–2000 sheep. People with livestock experience will see that it could have become dangerous if the lead had collapsed.

UPDATE: Aerial shot of the Bowser bridge. CLICK TO ENLARGE. (Photo by Daniel Loxton)

I spent many months of my life many miles up that road (we crossed that bridge several times) and years working with the sheep in that region and others. I’ve only occasionally written about my memories of these experiences, being a bit daunted by the task of putting them into words. These reflections here and here touch on the topic.

—Daniel