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! Two in particular are now quickly closing in a total of a million metres (1000 km) snowshoed with us! 

1. Harold Kinsley:
   “Million Metre Man!”
   Every year since 2014;
   116 days on the trail;
   1038km walked!
   
   
2. Kevin Hill;
   “Million Metre Man!”
   Every year since 2015;
   172 days on the trail;
   1601km walked! (including our 72 day crossing of Ontario in 2022!)

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Every Missinaibi Mile!

Only one person has snowshoed the entire length of the mighty Missinaibi River with us in the winter months!

Kevin Hill:
Missinaibi Headwaters (100km) – 2018;
Further down the Missinaibi (160km) – 2019;
Missinaibi Finale (240km) – 2020!

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 Tour; 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. Negotiating a rapid on the Pontax River 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. Explorer’s Club 2012 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! Explorers Club 2011 Members:  Colin Pollard (EC ’11, ’12); Roger Pollard; Jouko Rantala; Stephen Ritchie (EC ’11, ’12)