I've been enjoying your trip report too Wally, and looking forward to "the rest of the story".
If I have them, I often take both McKenzie and Fisher maps.  What one doesn't make clear the other version often does.  Sometimes just looking for a portage where you think one might/should be will reveal at least a path...probably made by someone like MagicPaddler who has no qualms about crashing through what looks to be the shortest route to the next lake, trail or not.