SouthSoundTree
Treehouser
You ARE my brother! I really do not like ladders either...bad dangerous things.
I use a 25' extension ladder a lot. Its the easiest way into the bottom of the canopy if you can get to the branches. Just use a safety of some sort. If you're spurring clear trunk, its maybe a waste, but otherwise, I like to save energy when I can, especially when I want to do a whole bunch of canopy raising in a day.