Within the last 20 or so years, various publications, realtors, government agencies, newcomers, and locals began calling Warm Spring Creek Canyon - Maiden Canyon. This has exacerbated itself into confusion over the Maiden Road. It has gotten to the point of having to ask people to clarify where they are actually talking about when reporting gathering sites, emergencies, and such. I am compelled to keep the facts straight and have succeeded, to some degree, with the Lewistown New Argus, Chamber of Commerce, BLM, law enforcement, and others. Now I am focusing on realtors, highway department, and others.
1. Maiden Canyon and Warm Spring Creek Canyon are two separate places in the Judith Mountains that converge at a common divide.
2. Maiden Creek drains Maiden Canyon eastwardly to the Musselshell River. Maiden Creek, originating in the upper reaches of Spotted Horse Gulch flows year around but goes sub-surface before it enters Maiden Canyon during the dry times of the year.
3. Warm Spring Creek drains Warm Spring Creek Canyon westward to the Judith River. Warm Spring Creek flows year around but goes sub-surface a few miles below Maiden in the dry periods of the year. It undoubtedly resurfaces in the Gigantic Warm Spring at the southern end of the North Moccasin Mountains.
4. The divide between the two canyons, 1/2 mile south east of Maiden (see note 3), is formed by low ridge between Gold Hill and Pekay Peak. The divide's elevation is 5,165 feet above sea level.
5. Maiden Canyon, east of the divide, is a narrow canyon with steep walls and impressive cliffs.
6. Warm Spring Creek Canyon, west of the divide, forms a wide and gentle valley.
7. All but a small parcel of Maiden Canyon is public lands, administered by the BLM.
8. The vast majority of Warm Spring Creek Canyon is private property.
9. Not a single person lives in Maiden Canyon, nor has for many years (see note 2).
10. Warm Spring Creek Canyon is populated with farms, ranches, year around residences, and summer homes. Previously it was home to the settlements of Maiden, Andersonville, Alpine, the Maiden smelter, a brewery, an air force station, a bible college, and a grade school.
11. Warm Spring Creek Canyon is also known as Maiden Valley to some residents; considering its valley like features with Maiden at its head certainly makes this is an applicable and acceptable non-formal name.
12. These two separate features are defined in both casual and official records dating back over 125 years.
Confusion over the Maiden Road is related to the Maiden Canyon-Warm Spring Canyon (or Maiden Valley) misunderstanding. Because the road is sometimes referred to as the Maiden Canyon Road some people think the paved road is in Maiden Canyon. The facts are as follows:
1. There is accurate BLM signage at the intersection of the Maiden Road with US Highway 191 N, stating Warm Spring Creek Canyon. A nearby state highway sign stating Maiden Canyon leads to confusion and is slated to be changed to Maiden Road or Maiden Valley.
2. The paved Maiden Road (see note 1) leaves highway 191 (0.0 miles) and heads due-east up Warm Spring Creek Canyon (or Maiden Valley).
3. Maiden Road intersection with the graveled New Year Road (5.7 miles).
4. The road passes through the former air base and later bible college (6.2 miles). The Maiden school was relocated from the town of Maiden to this site in the mid-19 twenties, long before the air base/bible college era. The school was closed in 1999 and has since been a residence.
5. Maiden Road intersection with the old Alpine Gulch road that is now private. (7.5 miles)
6. The pavement ends (8.6 miles) at the old town site of Maiden, located near the head of Warm Spring Creek.(see note 3)
7. At Maiden, the paved-Maiden Road transitions into the gravel-Maiden Road (8.6 miles) and swings northeast up the hill to the clearly marked intersection of the Camp Maiden-Judith Peak-Maiden Canyon roads (9.5 miles). (See Note 4)
8. It then twists and turns down a short distance down into Spotted Horse Gulch, passing the Spotted Horse Mine and within tens of feet of the old concrete tailings dam (10.3 miles).
9. Below the Spotted Horse Mine the Maiden Road intersects Maiden Canyon about ½ mile below its head and turns back southeasterly, entering the canyon (10.6 miles) (see note 2).
10. The road exits Maiden Canyon (12.0 miles) and traverses the eastern flanks of the Judith's to Gilt Edge (14.7 miles).
11. From Gilt Edge to US Highway 87 the graveled road is designated the Gilt Edge Road.
12. All of this is improved gravel and maintained by the BLM and County.
NOTES:
1. This road was paved in the late 1950's or early 1960's when the air force constructed and operated the radar station on top of Judith Peak along with the base 3 miles below Maiden. The base was specifically located to provide line of sight to the radar installation on top of Judith Peak - the highest peak in the Judith's. This was part of the Distant Early Warning System, or DEW line.
2. During the 1880's and 1890's there was a small settlement know as Canyon or Spotted Horse located at the confluence of Maiden Canyon and Spotted Horse Gulch. The last person to semi-reside in Maiden Canyon was a miner in the 1970's.
3. Clarification is also necessary on the location of the old town of Maiden due to misinformation circulated in Central Montana promotional pamphlets a few years ago-Maiden, is the old ghost town, not the former air base and bible college. A few miles up the road from Maiden, Camp Maiden was established as a Girl Scout camp and has since become a county facility used by the general public. The Maiden town site is entirely on privately property.
4. This intersection is located at an unnamed east/west drainage divide that is approximately 100 feet higher in elevation than the actual Maiden Canyon-Warm Spring Creek Canyon divide.