In 1971, Blake Dickens (a College of New Caledonia instructor), with assistance from Northwood Pulp and Timber, located and built the original trail up Sugarbowl. Around the same time, Max Munro marked out another route up Sugarbowl from where Sugarbowl Creek crosses the highway. It never became popular.

Further trail development and cabin construction (Raven Lake, Grizzly Den) in the area during the 1970s involved Northwood, the Caledonia Ramblers Hiking Club, and the Sons of Norway, before it became a provincial park. 

Key details regarding the development of the area:

• Initial Construction: In 1971, Blake Dickens, supported by Northwood Pulp and Timber, established the original route.
• Cabin Development: Northwood employees built the initial Raven Lake and Grizzly Den cabins in 1973 and 1974.
• Additional Work: The Sons of Norway constructed a cabin on the lower Grizzly Den trail in 1977.
• Trail Maintenance: The upper portion of the Sugar Bowl Trail was later relocated with help from volunteers like Dave King of the Caledonia Ramblers.
• Management: The B.C. Forest Service maintained the trails until the area became a Provincial Park, now managed by BC Parks. 

Born in Vancouver, BC, Blake Dickens passed peacefully into the presence of his Lord on August 14, 2015. He died at home in Duncan, BC, and is survived by his loving wife Bridget, son Mark, and daughter Lynn, as well as grandchildren Jeremy, Daniel, Yaqub, and Talitha. Blake had a lifelong love of the outdoors, expressed through his involvement in Scouting, life as a professional forester, and his love of hiking. He graduated from UBC with his BSc in Forestry (1952) and worked initially on Vancouver Island for Crown Zellerbach, in Ladysmith and later Comox (1952-1961). During his university years and after, he was very involved in the UBC Varsity Outdoor Club and the Alpine Club of Canada. Blake met Bridget while mountaineering near Lake O’Hara in 1958; they were married in 1959. After moving to the Prince George area, Blake worked as a forester for Northwood Pulp & Paper (1962-1972) and then as a Forest Technology instructor for the College of New Caledonia (1972-1991). Retiring in 1991, Blake and Bridget settled in Duncan, where they enjoyed hiking, cross-country skiing, and camping in their VW van. Well loved by their community of faith, St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Blake will be remembered as a man of integrity and faith who loved God, his family, friends, and the beauties of creation.

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