This story reminded me of an incident around 12 years ago. The Lady and I are long time volunteers, our skills are well known, as a result we have been involved in many interesting capers. A USFS employee contacted us to help investigate a three level tree house discovered in a large Jeffery pine quite a distance from a road or trail. We were to climb into the tree house and my job was to photograph evidence that could lead to the persons who had illegally erected this structure.
The trap door had a padlock that we removed and saved as evidence.
I belayed as the lead climber went up.
The Lady, on belay, followed up by climbing the very scary rungs nailed into the tree.
The climb up to the second and third levels was up the tree top branches.
We did our job, photographed evidence, locked the trap door with a new agency lock, and each of us rappelled down.
It made for an interesting day in the woods.