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

Today's guest is Edie Littlefield Sundby, author of the memoir The Mission Walker, about becoming the first person to walk the full Camino Real of both Californias while living with stage four cancer.

In Part 1, Edie recounts being initially denied treatment, finding aggressive care at Stanford, surviving extensive surgeries and chemotherapy, and using walking to purge toxicity and rebuild her body and spirit.

She also describes her first mission journey, walking from San Diego to Sonoma in 55 days by following mission bells and a hiker’s guide, as well as the hospitality of Franciscan missions.

Chapters:
00:00 California Mission Trail Intro
00:40 Meet Edie Littlefield Sun
02:40 Stage Four Cancer Turning Point
04:54 Walking as Medicine and Pilgrimage
08:13 Mission Bells and First Trail Walk
10:48 Chemo Walks and Healing Mindset
15:56 Follow the Bells Decision
18:14 Planning the 800 Mile Walk
21:18 Trail Logistics and One Lung
24:03 No Shortcuts Long Walk Lessons
27:04 Maps Over GPS Ground Truth
30:03 55 Days Mission to Mission
32:50 Mindfulness Outside the Head
34:56 Santa Susanna Pass Breakthrough
39:29 How the Trail Defines California

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

In 1769, Spain feared it was about to lose the Pacific coast. Russian traders were moving south from Alaska, British naval power was rising, and Spain had no permanent settlements north of Baja California. In response, imperial officials launched a land-and-sea operation known as the Sacred Expedition — a march that would found San Diego, search for the lost harbor of Monterey, and lead a small overland party to the first recorded European sighting of San Francisco Bay.

The Portolá Expedition (1769–1770) was the first Spanish overland exploration of coastal Alta California, organized to secure Spain’s claim against rival empires. Led by Gaspar de Portolá and supported by Fr. Junípero Serra and José de Gálvez, the expedition established San Diego, attempted to locate Monterey Bay, and instead made the first documented European discovery of San Francisco Bay. These journeys laid the foundation for Spain’s missions and presidios in California.

0:00 -- Introduction
0:32 — Why Spain Moved into Alta California (Manila Galleon & Empire Strategy)
3:10 — Russian Expansion Threatens Spanish California
6:30 — José de Gálvez’s Plan: Missions and Presidios in Alta California
9:40 — The 1769 Portolá Expedition Begins
13:10 — Founding San Diego: First Mission and Presidio
16:40 — Why the Expedition Missed Monterey
19:50 — The European “Discovery” of San Francisco Bay (1769)
22:40 — The Return South and Near Failure
24:30 — 1770: Founding Monterey and Securing Spanish California

References:

• Herbert Eugene Bolton, Fray Juan Crespi, Missionary Explorer on the Pacific Coast, 1769-1774
• Phil Brigandi and Eric Plunkett, The Portolá Expedition in Orange County
• Harry W. Crosby, Gateway to Alta California: The Expedition to San Diego, 1769
• Iris Engstrand and Donald Cutter, Quest for Empire: Spanish Settlement in the Southwest
• Iris Engstrand, “The Occupation of the Port of San Diego de Alcalá, 1769.”
• Robert Kirsch and William S. Murphy, West of the West. Witnesses to the California Experience, 1542-1906.
• Richard Pourade, The History of San Diego: Vol. II: The Explorers, 1492-1774.

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