According to Atlas Obscura, the trees were flipped upside down in 1985 by a landscaper named Steve, who was heading up to the Mendenhall Glacier to fix a stream that was destroyed in a landslide. After he arrived, Steve reportedly damaged a piece of moving equipment.
He then got angry, and is said to have used the machine to slam a tree upside-down into the mud, according to Atlas Obscura. He continued to do so with another 20 dead trees, and then planted 75 flowers in the roots of each one.
Visitors can usually view the tress from May until September.