A summary of all of our past Trail Blazer Club Expeditions and members, plus a couple of other extra special awards!

Million Metre Club!

It’s not just Kielyn and I who get bitten by the snow walking bug!  We’ve had some folks who have been coming back to join us for trips year after year after year becoming leaders and guides on our trips in their own rights! The list is growing and there are many that are closing in on the title. It’s an addiction that keeps people coming back year after year. Some more than others, and we want to acknowledge our appreciation for those who have truly caught the frozen fever.

Trail Blazer’s Club 2025- Because we couldn’t do the Trans-Temgagami in 2024 and instead had two Trail Blazer Expedition with the addition of the Ice Breakers last year, we did not complete a new route this season. 

Trail Blazer’s Club 2024

Expedition Name: Ice Breakers! (2 of 2)
Dates: Mar 16-31 (16 days);
Distance: ~105 km!
Highlights: This expedition was born out of necessity. What was supposed to be our Trans-Temagami expedition became a canoe-hauling expedition locally. Winter gave in to an early spring this year but rather than cancelling the experience for people we shifted our focus to embrace what we were given. For more on this trip see the Ice Breakers Page.

• Members:
• Rob McBrien
• Basia Halliop
• Jen Buys
• Julie Webe
• Myra Lefkowitz
• Kielyn Marrone
• Dave Marrone

Trail Blazer’s Club 2024

Expedition Name: North Channel Big Water (1 of 2)
Dates: Feb 10 – Feb 17 (8 days);
Distance: 65km
Highlights: Leaving right from our basecamp we set forth to explore the LaCloche in land lakes to bust out on to the sweeping scapes of the great Lake Huron. It was a mix of intimate portages and small lakes to start and finished with a sea like landscape and a feeling of awe for the never ending horizon. 

Members: 

• Rob McBrien
• Malcolm Savage
• Brian Johnson
• Leah Morris
• Allison Morris
• Sebastien Lepine
• Dave Marrone

Trail Blazer’s Club 2023- Because of COVID and our Big T.O.E in 2022, we were still catching up with participant expedition credits. Therefore we did not run a “new” trip this year but instead ran a season packed full of good ‘ol classics.

Trail Blazer’s Club 2022

Expedition Name: The Big T.O.E
Dates: Jan 18 – Apri 3 (72 days!);
Distance: ~730 km!
Highlights: Crossing Ontario from Lake Superior to James Bay with a diverse group and overcoming all of the obstacles that came our way to completing a successful all-winter expedition!

Members: 

• Cathy Marshall
• Bryce Campbell
• Rebecca Valenchis
• Kevin Hill
• David Crockett
• Maureen Pecknold
• Justin Whitton
• Michelle Campling
• Kent Pilgram
• Trevor Page
• Jacob Hoeksema
• Dave Marrone
• Kielyn Marrone

Trail Blazer’s Club 2021 

Due to COVID-19 We had to cancel our Trail Blazer’s Club Expedition for this year :( 

Explorer’s Club 2020 (3 of 2)

Expedition Name: Winter Survival
Dates: Mar 2-8 (7 days);
Distance: ~25km
Highlights: Spending the week THRIVING instead of surviving. We feasted on 3 beavers, 1 otter, 1 porcupine and 1 red squirrel. We had the pleasure of having Jordan Jonas join us, winner of season 6 of ALONE. 

Members: 

• Cameron Goffin;
• Kelly Bowen;
• Gina Vergillio;
• Bryce Campbell;
• Joe Simpson;
• Jordan Jonas;
• Tori Baird;
• Jim Baird;
• Kielyn Marrone

Explorer’s Club 2020 (2 of 3)

Expedition Name: Missinaibi Finale;
Dates: Mar 14 – Apr 4 (22 days);
Distance: ~ 240km
Highlights: When we started we never in our wildest dreams imagined we’d convince people to take 3 weeks in the winter and attempt to snowshoe 240 kilometres (150 miles) down a frozen river, and yet, here we were with an eclectic group of Canadians, Americans and Brits!

Members: 

• Doug Cirelli;
• James Deegan;
• Kevin Hill;
• Harold Kinsley;
• Adam Logan
• Dave Marrone;
• Cathy Marshall;
• Maureen Pecknold;
• Justin Whitton;
• Patrick Woods;

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Explorer’s Club 2020 (1 of 3)

Expedition Name: Georgian Bay Bigwater;
Dates: Feb 1 – 8 (8 days);
Distance: ~ 60km
Highlights: Surviving the loose pans of ice on the big water in a poor ice year!  Staying flexible amidst game-time route changes!

Members: 

• William Hamilton;
• Jesse Hardy;
• Brian Johnson;
• Kevin Kavanagh;
• Harold Kinsley;
• Laurence Koehrsen;
• Ray McCullough;
• Dave Marrone;
• Greg Matheson;
• Beth Sangree;
• Malcolm Savage;

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Explorer’s Club 2019 (2 of 2)

Expedition Name: Further Down the River;
Dates: Feb 23 –  Mar 16 (22 days);
Distance: ~ 160km
Highlights: 3 weeks straight wandering down a frozen northern river in the glory days of late winter, what could possibly be better!?

Members: 

• Doug Cirelli;
• David Crockett;
• Pete Garner;
• Thomas Garner;
• Nick Gordon;
• Kevin Hill;
• Adam Logan;
• Dave Marrone;
• Kielyn Marrone;
• Michael Palmer;
• Becky Valenchis;
• Justin Whitton.

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Explorer’s Club 2019 (1 of 2)

Expedition Name: Magical Mystery Tour;
Dates: Jan 26 – Feb 2, 2019 (8 days);
Distance: ~ 60km
Highlights: A literal mystery trip, show up and have an adventure!  Travelling on the “big water” of Georgian Bay.

Members: 

• Thijmen Apswoude;
• Sarah Carpenter;
• James Domsic;
• Jesse Hardy;
• Andy Levy;
• Adam Logan;
• Willow Lohr;
• Dave Marrone;
• Greg Matheson;
• Adam McDevitt;
• Malcolm Savage.

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Explorer’s Club 2018

Expedition Name: Life on the Trapline;
Dates: Feb 10 – 17, 2018 (8 days);
Distance: ~ 40km
Highlights: Locally harvested, sustainable meat and furs!

Members: 

• Peter Botros;
• Doug Cirelli;
• Roger David;
• Angus Doughty;
• Basia Halliop;
• Liz Jankowski;
• Bev Thibert;
• Jay Thibert;
• Dave Marrone;
• Kielyn Marrone.

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Explorer’s Club 2017

Expedition Name: Temagami Explorations;
Dates: Feb 18 – 25, 2017 (7 days);
Distance: ~ 70km
Highlights: Surviving a mid-morning thunderstorm and diverting the route to head up and over a mountain to stay off the melting lakes!

Members: 

• Graham Barnard;
• Courtney Boyd;
• Roger David;
• Frank Dempsey;
• David Hyndman;
• Goh Iromoto;
• Kevin Kavanagh;
• Cathy Marshall;
• Dave Marrone;
• Kielyn Marrone.

Explorer’s Club 2016 Expedition Name: Trans-Temagami; Dates: Feb 20 – Mar 6, 2016 (14 days); Distance: 128 km; Highlights: A complete crossing of the famed Temagami wilderness from South to North! Members:  Ross Bowyer; Thomas Hargreaves; Kevin Hill; Harold Kinsley; Dave Marrone; Kielyn Marrone; Mat Masin (EC ’13, ’15, ’16); Bob Olajos; Winona Ominika; Lilla Roy;

Explorer’s Club 2015 Expedition Name: Pontax River; Dates: Feb 28 – Mar 15, 2015 (14 days); Distance: 140 km; Low Point: Sea level! Highlights: Traveling on the Arctic Ocean between the Pontax and Rupert Rivers on James Bay. Members: Kevin Kavanagh (EC ’14, ’15); Dave Marrone; Kielyn Marrone; Mat Masin (EC ’13, ’15); Vanessa Rizzotto (EC ’13, ’14, ’15).

Explorer’s Club 2014 Expedition Name: Wolf Lake Eco-Explorer; Dates: Feb 15 – 23, 2014 (9 days); Distance: 58 km; Special Guest: Winter ecologist extraordinaire Dr. Gerard Courtin! Highlights: Slowing down and taking a closer look at the spectacular winter landscape of SW Temagami. Members: Gerard Courtin; Kevin Kavanagh; Dave Marrone; Kielyn Marrone; Stephen Ritchie (EC ’11, ’12, ’13, ’14); Vanessa Rizzotto (EC ’13, ’14); Beth Sangree; Jay Thibert.

Explorer’s Club 2013 Expedition Name: Missinaibi Headwaters; Dates: Feb 15 – 25, 2013 (10 days); Distance: 101 km; High Point: Traveling the height of land from the Atlantic to Arctic watershed! Highlights: Traveling with our mentor Garrett Conover. Expedition Name: Members: Garrett Conover; Katie Halls; Dave Hartman; Dave Marrone; Kielyn Marrone; Mat Masin; Collin Pollard (EC ’11, ’12, ’13); Stephen Ritchie (EC ’11, ’12, ’13); Vanessa Rizzotto.

Explorer’s Club 2012 Expedition Name: Killarney Krossing; Dates: Feb 18 – 26 27, 2012 (7 days); Distance: 51 km; Elevation: Too much! Highlights: Selecting the “High Adventure” route 1 too many times. Members:  Sam Cutforth; Colin Pollard (EC ’11, ’12); Anneke Ritchie; Cam Ritchie; Stephen Ritchie (EC ’11, ’12)

Explorer’s Club 2011 Expedition Name: Ishpatina Ridge; (Honorary EC Expedition) Dates: Feb 13 – 20, 2011 (8 days); Distance: 75 km; High Point: Ontario’s highest – Ishpatina Ridge! Highlights: Lure of the North’s first ever guided offering.  Special thanks to those who made this possible! Members:  Colin Pollard (EC ’11, ’12); Roger Pollard; Jouko Rantala; Stephen Ritchie (EC ’11, ’12)