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Sparky Stensaas - Columnist / Photographer / Author

www.stoneridgepress.com

I consider myself a Naturalist Photographer who enjoys learning about my subjects as much as photographing them. My fascination with the natural world began in junior high school when I saw a strange bird in my New Hope, Minnesota front yard. Turns out it was a Northern Flicker and I became hooked on birds. Photography started soon after. After graduating from the University of Minnesota-Duluth in 1985 with a Biology/American Indian Studies degree, I worked at a string of naturalist jobs including at Minnesota’s Gooseberry Falls State Park, Jay Cooke State Park and Hawk Ridge. I was also a ranger with the National Park Service at Grand Portage National Monument and a canoe guide in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

Photography became a passion for me after the turn of the century. Since then I have traveled extensively across the U.S. shooting wildlife and national parks with my buddy Ryan Marshik. Ryan is also my partner in the photo book project called North Woods Journal. Our late fall trip to Yellowstone National Park is becoming an annual event.

I use top-of-the-line Canon products but carry a minimal amount of gear in the field. Since going digital in 2004 the fun factor has increased 110 percent. I love experimenting!

In 1998 I formed a publishing company with friend Rick Kollath. Kollath-Stensaas Publishing creates user-friendly, photo-laden field guides for the North Woods. Stone Ridge Press was created in 2004.

Treeline chickens

"Tell daddy about the chicken you saw,” the woman said to her young son toddling down the hiking trail in Rocky Mountain National Park. My ears perked up. I couldn’t believe it. Bridget and I had been searching for “the chicken” for five straight days. We’d probably hiked 20-plus miles looking high and low—mostly high (above treeline often over 11,000 feet)—for the White-tailed Ptarmigan; a small and elusive grouse-like bird of alpine tundra. If we found the bird, it would be number 600 for me in North America [birder’s North America is defined as everything north of Mexico not including Hawaii.]; a real milestone. It would also be a highly coveted photo prize.

Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the few places in the U.S. that one can get above treeline on a paved road. Hiking trails radiate from the Trail Ridge Road to access prime alpine tundra. But you aren’t limited to trails and one day we cut cross country and huffed and puffed our way up Mount Chapin. Spectacular views. No ptarmigan.

Read the rest of the Sparky's column in our July issue...