Sounds like you are doing your research. Having grown up in the mountains of Colorado, I can say that you need to be prepared. Depending on the season, you can expect cold weather in October and snow in November.

I would recommend that you buy the best gear that you can afford. Your tent is one of the most critical pieces of equipment. I always used a good 4 season tent ( the lighter the better). If you get caught in snow or rain, it will pay for itself..

Water is a key factor also.... I pack a small water filter ( I use a SweetWater Filter) so I do not have to pack large quantities of water & topo of the area so I know where the water is.

Start now and get in shape. The altitude has ruined many a hunt. The better shape you are in, the easier it is to get up the mountains.... Good Luck! Enjoy!

Well, I must say I am certainly enjoying all the posts and exchanging of information. I look forward to June 9th when the DOW lets us all know how we did in the draw and what areas we will be hunting. ... the keyboards will be flying.

Speaking of Topo maps and GPS maps... We were speaking of GPS topos, were we not?

I am thinking of buying a topo map application for my Garmin GPS. Now keep in mind that it is NOT the hunting model.... it is the kind I can use in my car - it is supposed to be portable.

Anyone with any comments or advice? The battery is supposed to last a long time, and I am sure I would not have the unit on constantly.

Any feedback is appreciated.

Mark

Just an opinion on the Eureka tent from Cabela's you mentioned. I have used this very tent for backpacking and camping in Colorado for numerous trips. I have had 4 inches of hail and over 18 inches of snow fall on me in this tent and have always stayed warm and dry. It is lightweight, durable and sets up faster than any tent I have ever owned. Even in high winds at 14000 feet, this tent stayed secure when properly staked. It is a bit small for getting dressed, but if you are a little flexible it works fine. Only thing is that I would not recommend two people trying to get dressed in heavy winter clothing at the same time...black eyes and bruises will be the start of your day...

I bought this three man tent and love it but it sounds like you have already picked one out. The only other tip I can give you is buy the footprint if it has the option. It will keep the tent floor better protected and that much drier.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/horizontal-pod.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/pod-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20075-cat602107&rid=&indexId=cat602107&navAction=push&masterpathid=&navCount=2&parentType=index&parentId=cat602107&id=0031780