Agree. IvarĀ“s route seems like a good alternative.
Going South you should maybe have cut through just below the leg from #2 to #3?
Yes I think your idea is good better than my route. I think another option is a variation of Ivar's route where you cut across the valley of doom where the trail starts going north, such that you cross just south of the long lake, and then more or less straight from there.