George, sounds good to me.

Here is a thread on getting the ladder out. You may need a double or triple dose of POP to get it out using water and wiggling - but it should eventually come out. If you run out of POP - you can unbolt the treads so as to get more side-to-side torque.

If you have more questions on your 'non- closing', just give a holler, we're here all year long