Here they would bed down to ruminate, or re-chew the mornings feed, and await the reverse pattern in late afternoon. The north face of a mountain will stay cool during the hotter months. The south face stays warm during the colder months. Winter range is typically south facing because the sun has melted the snow leaving grasses and shrubs open for foraging. Look for escape cover adjacent to south facing slopes for good winter range.
Saddles provide good trails during seasonal and daily migration.
They're sometimes found near ridges, cliffs and rock slides. Look to rock slides, cliffs and dark timber for good escape cover. Areas where various habitat components are in close proximity to each other are high use areas by elk. Here elk can move from cover type to cover type relatively easily during migration or pressure. Typical daily migration is upslope in the morning, and down slope in the evening.