090: The Mission Walker Part 2 with author Edie Littlefield Sundby

In the second half of this interview with Edie Littlefield Sundby ( The Mission Walker ), she explains why she extended the California Mission Trail beyond San Diego and retraced the original mission route from Loreto, Baja California, to the U.S. border in 2015, after her cancer returned and she was treated with radiation. Guided by Harry Crosby’s maps and aided by (previous guest) Trudi Angell and local vaqueros, she walked nearly 1,000 GPS miles through roadless desert sierras with pack mules, scarce water, and minimal supplies, encountering both extraordinary hospitality on remote ranchos and increasing danger from narcos and drug routes in northern Baja. Edie contrasts the wild Jesuit trail with the more accessible Franciscan route in California, reflects on gratitude, trust, and spiritual pilgrimage, discusses the missions’ enduring “spirit” even in ruins, and closes with thoughts on history’s complexity and the California Mission Trail as a pilgrimage people can complete in segments. Purchase The Mission Walker Chapters 00:00 Why Baja Matters 01:21 Transcendence Then Relapse 03:28 Discovering Loreto Origins 05:20 Planning With Trudy 06:41 Keeping It Quiet 07:59 Jesuit Trail Realities 09:54 Launching From Loreto 10:25 Vaqueros And Survival 13:23 Rancho Hospitality Story 16:11 Living History On Ranchos 18:07 Timing The Desert Walk 19:23 Loreto Mission And Spirit 21:07 Jesuit Trail Highlights 23:04 Narcos on the Trail 24:23 Vaquero Protection 26:31 Respect and Trust 28:08 Desert Hunger Lessons 29:11 Water Survival System 30:16 Cactus and Gear 32:14 Shrines and Gratitude 33:19 Finishing the Journey 36:33 Drug Roads Reality 37:59 History Beyond Myths 40:31 Trust Over Fear 41:44 California Camino Dream 42:44 Walking in Segments 43:52 Next Big Adventures 44:55 Books and Farewell 46:57 Support the Show Send a Comment. Support the show Give a one-time donation Learn more about the California Frontier Project: Website YouTube Instagram Facebook Contact: damian@californiafrontier.net

You can listen to 090: The Mission Walker Part 2 with author Edie Littlefield Sundby online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

090: The Mission Walker Part 2 with author Edie Littlefield Sundby is an episode from California Frontier by Damian Bacich, Ph.D..

This episode is 48:05 long.

This episode was published on Mar 26, 2026.

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