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.

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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