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Alaskabike is owned and operated by Walt
Rowland and Deb Winkelman.
Deb was born in
McGrath, Alaska. Her father, also from McGrath, was a bush pilot.
Flying a small plane for the US Mail, he met Deb's mother at the small
village of Shageluk. They were married, and a few years
after Deb was born,
moved to Anchorage. Deb traveled extensively throughout Alaska with
her family, and later on her own. Deb attended the University of
Alaska at Fairbanks. During the off season, she teaches second grade
in the Anchorage School District.
Walt was raised in
Southern California and came to Alaska in 1975 to work on the construction
of the Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline. It was supposed to be just a summer
job for college, but when he graduated he decided to move to Alaska and
continue to work in the construction field. This work took him to many
of the most remote areas in the state.
In the 1985 Walt
decided he didn't want to get old under a bulldozer, and became a
Stockbroker in Anchorage. Walt prospered in the brokerage business,
until 1992, when he and a friend bicycled across Alaska for a vacation.
He could never seem to get that experience out of his mind. Soon he
followed his heart again, quitting the brokerage business, and in 1993,
starting up Alaskan Bicycle Adventures.
Walt and Deb were
married in January, 2003.
- Started in 1993 by Walt Rowland
- Eleven years in
business as Alaskan Bicycle Adventures.
- Operated over 50 bicycle tours in
2000, more Alaska bicycle tours than all competitors combined!
- Walt and Deb re-named the business
'Alaskabike' in 2004.
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