Don't think you need to change up your strategy too much. There may still be some rut activity, but this seems highly variable. Hunt into the wind or lateral to it (hunt uphill in the mornings, maybe downhill in the afternoon/evening to keep the thermals in your face). Get away from roads and even trails. Listen for bugles at 3 am to locate herds and maybe do some night hiking to get within a few hundred yards of them before the sun rises. Even on the west side, elk will still key on areas with water and with water-fed forage (wet meadows, etc.) due to the dry nature of our summers.
Shooting sticks are always nice, but you will have to decide on that amount of extra weight! Make sure you know your effective range from all shooting positions (offhand, kneeling, seated, seated with sticks, prone). Check and double check your accessories (caps, speedloads, extra bullets, a few handfuls of cleaning patches, etc.) before heading off with a pack on your back.
Best of luck!
