Gary Winkler

Gary was born in Stuttgart, Germany. His grandfather was sent to Bellingham, Washington to help with the Phillips 66 refinery. Upon arrival, grandpa knew he needed reinforcements so he called on Gary's father to help. Gary's father had a Fluid Dynamics degree which was a perfect fit. His dad was supposed to be in Bellingham for six months. Two years later, his mom arrived with the kids, including Gary. After three years, dad returned to Germany but mom decided to stay. The couple divorced because of his infidelity. As a young adult, Gary worked for his dad's construction company. He traveled around the world working on remote bridge and canal projects including in Egypt. He also visited his grandpa, who lived on site developing refineries in Singapore and Perth, Australia. Grandpa was a unique man. While he oversaw hundreds of employees, he worked with each of them as a compatriot. He was tightening bolts, checking components and doing the calculations along with his team. Gary attributes his success to this influence. He learned how to work on things while learning to work with people. Gary raises is hand up high to signal the bar being set. When Gary was a freshman in college, his roommate asked him to take care of his dog. The dog was a Mackenzie Valley wolf. Gary fell in love. Later on, these dogs would profoundly affect Gary's life. After college, Gary resided in Bellingham and commuted to Boeing. He worked hard, got promotions, wore suits. Yet, corporate life ate at his soul. He remembers walking along the trail adjacent to Lake Washington on the Boeing Tukwila campus and deciding this lifestyle was not for him. Around that same same time, his friend found a want ad in the paper about Mackenzie Valley wolves. They happened to be in Alger, south of Bellingham. Gary recalls driving to Alger to the approximate location of the breeder, yelling through the gate to the backyard and, with no answer, decided to open the gate and walk in. There, in a kennel, was his puppy. He had to have it. He convinced the breeder he must have it that moment, leaving his driver's license, a chainsaw and a vacuum cleaner he happened to have in his car at the time as an initial down payment. MacKenzie Valley wolves are remarkable animals. After Boeing, he decided to move to Alaska with his dog and girlfriend after being offered a job at a gold mine. There he gained experience with dynamite and river dredging, swimming under the ice to search for gold. He then moved to the Yukon Territory and worked for the Canadian government shipping medical supplies to remote locations. He learned to fly as a bush pilot, trusting his instruments with limited radio contact in bad weather. In the summers, he resided in Skagway, Alaska. He met an Eskimo Chief who gave him a female wolf. So, he bred his dogs and connected with cruise ships docking at the harbor, providing sled dog rides. While doing this, he was introduced to the producers of Never Cry Wolf (1983) and his dogs were featured in that movie. Gary's dogs were also in White Fang (1991) which was filmed in Haines, Alaska. Their career continued with Snow Dogs (2002). His dogs were also on Northern Exposure (1990), and REI and Ford commercials. He returned to Germany for nineteen surgeries over nine months to replace vertebrae in his neck and lower back. He now has stainless steel universal joints in his lower back and neck giving him full movement. He settled with the gas station and used the money to buy the Unimogs in the field. Of late, he and his dogs have been extras in "The Man in the High Castle". He performed as a Nazi guard in its Second Season which was filmed in Darrington, Washington. For a few decades, Gary had over two hundred Mackenzie Valley wolves that would breed with Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes. He paid seventeen thousand dollars for his final one. His dogs have allowed him to hang out with James Coburn and Cuba Gooding Jr. He has worked with Stephen Spielberg. He's very thankful to have had the experience. He believes in things that last. That's why he loves Unimogs. He also has no fear of doing things in his own, unique way. His zest for life shines through as genuine and unique.