Thanks for the recommendations everyone! You certainly saved us from a backbreaking 1.3 mile portage! We'll definitely start at Malone Bay instead. Both the routes to Wood Lake and Intermediate Lake seem interesting, I'll have to think over which to ultimately choose.

I'm planning a canoeing trip with my girlfriend to Isle Royale and was trying to figure out a reasonable path with minimum portage. My idea right now is to get delivered at Chippewa Harbor by the Voyager II and then access Lake Ritchie, spend sometime camping/fishing around the Lake Richie area for ...