Sounds like a good twofer season...three if you have a bear tag.

Yes, the elk don't get hot in the valley until late August. Remember that the boundaries have changed. In the past you could hunt the whole GMU, now it is just the Elk Area.

The elk patterns won't change much, but the river sure could.
It is now over on the South Shore side again and it can rise in a hurry with the monsoons up there.

Good luck.