Opening Ortiz  Hike into a new mountain preserve near Santa Fe
"Omigod, that's an American pipit!" The tiny, tan-colored bird
buzzing him in curious circles has ornithologist Lawry Sager
gripping his binoculars with glee. "I'm going to have to write
this one up."  The rare sighting is an unexpected zoological
reward for topping out on 8,897-foot Placer Peak - the highest
point in the recently established Ortiz Mountains Educational
Preserve, a small, isolated range about 30 miles southwest of
Santa Fe.  The preserve, which opened to regular public tours
for the first time in summer 2003, is a northern New Mexico
treasure for naturalists and adventure seekers. The hills are
forested with junipers, piñons, ponderosa pines, and stands of
white firs. Bears and at least one mountain lion call these
mountains home, and though they stay hidden during our visit,
along the trail we see ample evidence - scat, rubbings, and
tracks - of their passing.  Humans have left their mark here
too. Historians believe pioneers du