There was a decent Backpacker Magazine article on one of the PMAs that I recall being fairly descriptive.  I've only been through the Sundial PMA from Beartrap through Sunday to Iron.  You could definitely tell the portages were not maintained, and some bushwacking was in order.  Often felt like we were following game trails, but that's half the adventure.  It's a great way to get more solitude, that's for sure.