Good moves, and I'm glad you found your monument. I'm surprised you managed it with a Magellan, a GPS I could never get to work. In fact, I would have to put it on top of my car for 1/2 an hour for it to find satellites. Once I forgot it was there, drove off and lost it. I was grateful - I didn't have to mess with it anymore. $400 shot.

Now it seems to me that cottonwood trees are very short-lived, rot rapidly and are hazards, dead or alive, in stormy conditions. A 150' cottonwood would be especially dangerous, and most people would consider it a public service to drop that sucker. Or cut off the top half, which might render it harmless and open your viewing.

The det cord is an idea, maybe not a good one. The stuff is terrifying, I think because there's no control over it. You don't watch det cord, it's an event, it just happens. People got good with it with practice, I was curious, not that curious.