Hampton Lumber co-owner David Hampton and now-retired forester Dennis Creel planted this mix of Larch and Douglass Fir in 2011 during reforestation of the area, and it’s a smile much appreciated.
People driving along Oregon Route 17 between the towns of Willamina and Grand Ronde are greeted with a smile each Autumn as a smiley face forms in the trees.
Now-retired forester Dennis Creel knew the hillside was very visible to the highway, and with Hampton Lumber co-owner David Hampton set up the striking arboreal eye-catcher by planting Larch among the Douglas Fir on the plantation.
“He just decided to have a little fun,” company spokesperson Kristin Rasmussen told foxweather.com. “When it’s time for harvest the wood will be processed into lumber at Hampton Lumber’s nearby mills.”
Unlike Douglas fir, Larch trees are deciduous. In autumn, the needles of Larch trees turn golden and then drop off, showing the face, thought to be about 100m in diameter.
Rasmussen said that while the image might lose some definition, the smiley face will return each autumn for the next 30 to 40 years as the trees continue to grow.
