Yeah, it's sparse as all get-out, but it seems like a rewarding enterprise. You get to enjoy hiking in some beautiful country, with a little hunting tossed in. At certain points in the season, you also would be more likely to encounter woodcock, especially near high-altitude clearings.

I suppose if you're hoping to get flushes every half hour or less, chasing ruffed grouse in the mountains will be a letdown. In that case, I'd just encourage you to lower your expectations a bit. And I cannot imagine that it'd be wasted time, as you'll at the very least get used to mountain hunting for upland game, making you more prepared for the day you do travel to the Rockies, where I've heard grouse are all over the place.