How To Find Elk in a New Hunting Area

The snow in the high country has finally melted away and the elk are in their summer feeding patterns. So I figured it was a great time to head into the wilderness area that I would be hunting this year and snap a few photos through the spotting scope and see what kind of potential this unit had to offer.
Here are a few more bullet points for summer scouting:

1. Buy the highest quality optics that you can afford.
2. Let your optics do the walking for you.
3. Don't plan on hunting the areas that the elk are feeding in during the summer, because more than likely they won't be there during archery season.
4. Try and pre plan your campsites ahead of time, but don't ever lock yourself into one spot.
5. If the area seems to be overrun with campsites and outfitters, find a new spot.
6. If you have new gear, use the scouting season to test it out.
7. If you're scouting for elk and seeing several deer at the same time, try to buy a deer tag.
8. Mark all potential water sources, wallows and important Intel on your map.
9. Try to plan your route in with the idea that you will be packing out and elk on the way out. So park your truck at the lower trial head! You will be thanking yourself on the trip out/down.
10. If you're limited on time, do as much Internet scouting as possible and use Google earth as much as possible.