hey jjmoneyman..I'm in wyoming ,so I really cant be your hunting partner.If I were you I would buy a 110.00 GPS and a satelite phone.Spend the rest of spring and summer and talk to everyone you can about the area your in..There are lots of people here who can help with that..When I started elk hunting here 5 years ago I couldn't pay a hunting buddy to drop his rifle and come do some hard core bow hunting.So,I went alone..What I'm getting at is that you will probably be hunting alone this year. Thats not all bad. If your hunting the rockies I wouldn't even bother with a treestand.The elk will let you know where they are.be aggressive go after them and what ever you decide not to do,make sure you monitor the wind all the time. When you get your elk, you wont be able to beat guys off your door step to take them hunting with you.. Good luck and let me know if I can help at all.