I can't help you in terms of picking a place to hunt, but you are already getting good advice there. As for the backpacking/camping/equipment I might be able to add some value here...
1. If you have never been backpacking or camping even, then you need to start doing it now, even if it is on the flat land. You are not going to be living out of some guides wall tent or lodge so you need to know that you can handle seven days sleeping on the ground, walking for a half a day or longer with 40# or more on your back, and can make your equipment work when it needs to. Nothing worse than being cold, wet, and hungry and you can't make your stove work...well, there are but you get the point.
2. Definitely get into shape, for two reasons. First, you have never spent the whole day walking around in the mountains and it is different. Uneven terrain, no trails to walk on, carrying weight on your back, etc. Plus, just walking up or down hill for a few hours will be totally different to your body. The first thing that will hurt your hunt is if your body can't keep up and if your body can't then your brain won't be far behind. Second, you will be up higher and the air is thinner, so your body will need to be in the best shape it can be in just to help with the lower levels of oxygen you will be sucking in. More on that later.
3. Check out the threads on this forum, on the Elk forum on Bowsite.Com, on kifaruforums.net, and on backpackinglight.com to learn as much as you can about what gear you will need for an elk our mountain hunt and how to trim down your weight into a list of gear that will do what you need it to do with the lightest weight possible/practical.
4. You should concentrate on the Big Three first and get what will work for you and weighs as little as possible, but remember that lighter also may mean more expensive so you will likely find a happy medium between costing a little less but being a few ounces or pounds more than the lightest/most expensive options. The big three are your Pack, your Shelter, and your Sleeping system (sleeping bag, ground pad, and a ground sheet).
5. As for the pack, there will be lots out there that you like but some of them will not fit your body and you should not even consider them if they don't. By fitting your body I am talking about your torso length (do a search on here or the other sites for more information). When you wear your pack all or most of the weight should be resting on your hipbone with the waist belt. The shoulder straps with modern packs are really just there to keep the pack from flopping off of your back and to keep it from shifting from side to side as you walk. As a result, the top of the pack/frame, when it is resting properly on your hips, should come to a couple of inches above your shoulders so that the "load lifters" have enough height to lift the strap slightly up off of your your shoulders so that instead of pushing down on the top of your shoulder the strap will push back into your shoulder. Do a Google image search on load lifters and you will see what I am talking about.
6. Things at higher altitudes are much different from down on the flat. Take some chapstick with you since the air is much drier and your lips WILL get chapped. Plan on drinking lots of water each day for the same reason and you will be sweating more and breathing through your mouth more. Also, do some reading up on altitude sickness to get familiar with the symptoms and treatments. Speaking of treatments, also plan to get out there a day or two before hand to get used to the altitude. It will pay massive dividends on the hunt.
Well, that's plenty for now, good luck, get lots of practice with your gear, and have a blast!
Larry