1. as always, weather can be anything. Mid Oct plan on snow at some point…either right before you get there, when you arrive, or sometime while you’re there. How much is a crapshoot
2. difficulty of hunting is subjective. Parking and hiking into the wilderness would be difficult for a flat lander like me. If you’ve never been on a mountain hunt, the country is a lot bigger than a map or aerial photo looks. Its quite humbling for some first timers.
3. While there are a bunch of units and acreage for that tag, you’ll be hunting with 5,000+ of your new best friends. Some areas will sound like WWIII opening morning. You can use for your advantage by staying out all day the first two days of the season and hunting ridges elk will use for travel as they get pushed around. The number of people you see will get exponentially less the further you get from trails, roads, trailheads, campsites, etc.
4. You can hike as far as you’d like, but make realistic limits. I visit the mountains once a year from flat sea level. The first year I was overly ambitious; I have since learned my limits in subsequent years.
5. I would focus on transition areas in the 8k’- 10k’ range in mid October. Have a plan to get elk out, whether you’re going to pack one (be realistic) or have already set it up with a local outfitter to pack for you. Have a plan to get yourself out if you’ve never done this before, weather can be brutal if you dont have the right gear. Have several spots pre picked at different elevations in case of weather or one area is not what you thought it would be when you get there (very likely). Get there as early as you can to acclimate, get a lay of the land, and figure out a starting point.
6. Horses are great if you know how to ride, handle, pack, and tie one up.