Correct on the horses. They take them back down. You don't want them in camp with you. It would be nice to have one or two to haul out your elk and you can rent horses from them. But you have the problem of getting hay/grain up the mountain. Best not to have the horses and just pay them to come get your elk.

The ride up to the camp is 3 to 5 miles and you will be very close to the wilderness area. Most of the ride is very easy. It is really an enjoyable trip. I recommend going in as early as possible so you can get used to being on the mountain. Don't recommend doing any scouting because you are right in the middle of your elk. You do need to be quiet around the camp so you don't push the elk away too far. Be prepared to hunt the dark timber. If I do it again I will use my .44 mag revolver. You will not have long shots in the timber and carrying a rifle in that dense cover is difficult. Everyone needs to have a GPS so you can find your way back to camp and then back to your downed elk.