GLSNightpilot: "We just put the nose on the top of the trees and keep it there until the trees go underneath it."
So - how do you get the nose on top of the trees ? If you're in a tight LZ, surely you have to use pure towering (with a little bounce off ground cushion if you're near the red on power) to get the machine anywhere near tree top height ?
If you've got the space, then a creep is best - anything to get some airspeed/translational.
And - yeah I know this sounds obvious - get a really good check on the wind before towering. The wind direction coming over the trees - not through them. I once saw a beautiful tower turn into a nightmare - the pilot arrived at tree top height to discover he was downwind.....with little power in hand. Sweaty translational search.