I was lucky enough to come up on a father and son hunting when I killed my elk. We hiked 3 miles up together, gained about 2500 ft of elevation and when we crested the top it was a shooting gallery. My first elk I ever got. Bad news is the guys son was 10 and we had 3 huge elk on the ground. The good news is, this guy was a pro and showed me a way to bone the elk out without even gutting it. It is very simple, just stay clear of the belly and your good. Cut off the quarters at the joints and follow the muscle patterns when making your cuts. Unfortunitly where I hunt (Colorado)there is a problem with chronic waste, so that is going to cost you about 50lbs of useless head weight to carry, so the less the better. I had to make 3 trips up and down the mountain, and we still had to come back the next day. This ain't texas or Nebraska, you cant drive up and throw it on the tailgate. Everyone is tough until they feel what a 120 lb. pack feels like at 10,000ft. Don't be that guy. Good luck.