Noticed the same thing where I was after hiking around 2 hours. Place was so thick with mountain laurel couldn't make any sort of approach without spooking everything. Tree stand would have been perfect to allow me to look over the laurel at all the trails, sort of like a bird's eye view of a human size maze. Then I realized that I would have to haul the tree stand up and If I got anything I would have to carry it back down as it couldn't be dragged through the laurel. AFter pondering the workout I would get I nixed the whole idea and continued walking back down to clearer/flatter ground. Maybe next year if I set up the tree stand in the summer over a few trips. (ladder stand, hate climbers etc, scared of em)Sure was alot of sign and beds up there. Good luck if you head up into the mountains, just remember there is a return voyage also which you will probably make alone and heavily encumbered. Best wishes.