Greetings,
Greenville is the last post of civilization in the North Woods. Traditionally, it was the staging areas for the loggers and the "Sports", those who came from the Flatlands to hunt and fish. Guides would provide them services in the North Woods tradition. The logging efforts over the years were controlled by a few big companies (Scott and Great Northern while I was growing up) who ruled their land like a private fiefdom. Greenville was a company town to the these companies, since they provided the most employment to the locals that was not of the seasonal type associated with the flatlander/tourist variety. However, this is changing due to the streams of globiliztion. This has decreased the demand for the forest products that used to flood out of the North Woods. The traditional companies mentioned were only interested in logging only. When the market changed due to increased foreign compitition (rotten trade deals...), these companies bailed out and sold out to the likes of Plum Creek. Plum Creek is a multi-national type who has their hands in many pots besides logging. They want to maximize the profit from the land in ways other then logging. They are proposing a big development for the North Woods: Condos, time shares, golf courses, resorts, suburbia, etc... In other words, they will destroy what people come North to find-wilderness, peace, good fishing/hunting, God's country. It will change the landscape as sure as a forest fire... Their scheme has devided Greenville in half. Those in favor want the jobs it will provide (service type, nowhere what logging pays) to help the depressed economy. Those against want to preserve the North Woods feeling that is Greenville's most valuable asset. Just as an aside, Millinocket is a ghost town afther the paper mills there have closed or scaled back. As for the Golden Road, it was built by Great Northern after the log drives down the rivers and lakes (a wonderful tradition and lost art, since I was of the last generation to participate; ecologically, much better then the trucks and roads...) were forced to stop due to the state mandates. Access roads were built to get the logs out of the woods. They were all private and dirt. They are still dirt to my knowledge. Paved roads were too expensive, both to build and maintain due to the long and cold winters. Basically, all roads north of Lily Bay and Rockwood (west side of Moosehead) are dirt/gravel. However, if Plum Creek gets its way, much pavement will occur... Greenville and the North Woods will look like suburbia NY/NJ...
If you want a paved ride to Baxter, it will not happen. The best you can do from Greenville is to head south to Guilford, continue to Dover, head north via Brownville Jct/Milo, to Millinocket. After Millinocket to Baxter it is dirt, not unless they have changed it over the years at Baxter, which I doubt very much. I say head north on the dirt with a sturdy bike. That would be the true adventure. Good Luck! PS: do not forget the bug juice and benedryl....
MotoMan