"The overall consensus is to climb high, glass early, and glass longer than you think you should."
That is good advice! Depends how or if you plan your hunt out or play it by ear, letting the hunt take you where it may. If i believe, that i'm pretty much the only hunter in the area and that there are good deer there, i'll really take my time anytime that i can see a lot of country. Your thoughts on where to glass and why are valid and to be kept in mind but don't overlook or fail to glass ANY area within sight!
I always like to use my eyes first especially looking over the closer in areas and scanning for any animals that are obvious, may be alert to me, or already in the escape mode. I will usually sit to glass, again starting near and gradually working out farther, eventually glassing distant ridges with the S. scope some might think too far away to matter. Then repeat... Then repeat...
I can't tell you how many times i've sat to glass and 20 minutes later had a buck that was bedded, stand up within range, him being there the whole time, but hid from sight while bedded. If you believe in the area, use your glasses more than your boots. Once you find him, that's another matter.
Joey