We've seen a moose in the marsh next to the 890m portage on Sec Lake.  I think it was in the morning
Haven't seen any others coming in the East Gate.

Both Maple and Erables have some nice sites.  I've stayed on both, and it's a short portage between the two. There's a bit more space on Erables, so you're less likely to hear a neighbour, and you'll see less traffic. 

With Maple Creek, the higher the water the better.  So earlier in the season should be better.  I've only paddled Maple Creek in late July, and early August.  You should be fine.

I have a Garcia Machine Backpacker's Cache (two actually).  For a solo trip, packing dense foods, you could squeeze a week of food in there.  I usually do 5 day trips and it's sufficient.  They are truly bear proof (and quite heavy, and seem to now cost about double what I got mine for), so you can just leave them on the ground some distance from your tent.  No worries about having to find a suitable hanging location every night.  Despite the weight, I single carry pretty much every portage.

For trips with more people, I have the big blue barrel and hang it nightly.

For canoe paddling because you are sitting higher than in a kayak, and have more width to clear you probably need the longest double blade paddle you can get.  I have a 260cm 2-piece Werner Kalliste.  It was a custom order, and despite getting it on sale it was pricey but well worth it.  It's very light, but rigid.  I do experience a little bit of flutter (blade wobbling in the water) if I'm paddling hard at the end of a long day.  I also demoed a Bending Branches Slice, which does come up to 280cm, but it weighs more than twice as much, with the weight concentrated at the tips, and the shaft is not rigid so the whole paddle wobbles in your hands (think of the pole a tight-rope walker carries).  I think fighting the wobble would tire you out over a long day.

To answer some of the other questions....   I always carry a spare paddle.  Carbon single blade.  I usually only use it in very tight places (windy creeks), or if I have a very short distance between portages (you can see the next portage from the current one) as I have one strap to access the single blade and two to get the double out. 

I travel much quicker with the double blade.  Probably not twice as fast, but noticeably faster (maybe 25%+) with less effort.  It make a huge difference traveling into the wind.  To me the higher speed means I can get to more interesting places, and cover more ground.  Some might argue I'm missing things (or the point) by going 'fast', but at less than 10km/h it's hard to argue one is traveling too fast.

I haven't tried it solo in the back seat. My solo canoe has the seat in the middle.  I have contemplated using it in the front when canoeing tandem, but haven't actually tried it out.  Front it usually just providing propulsion, and a single blade would make more sense in the back for steering.

I'm a bit late to the thread, but here's another data point:
- My canoe is a Souris River Tranquility solo canoe.  It has a sliding seat, and removable yoke.  I used the removable yoke my first trip and never again.  Putting it on and taking it off several times in a day was tedious, plus it weighs several pounds.  Now I portage the canoe by sliding the seat to the center of gravity of the canoe, strap my life jacket around the seat and rest the seat on my head.  If it's a short portage, sliding the seat is enough.  If it's a long or tricky portage I can lock the seat into place quickly so the canoe doesn't slide.  Total time to transition to and from carrying is less than a minute.  The canoe is light (even with paddles, sail and fishing rods strapped into it) enough that I can carry it this way for very long distances (several KMs) without a break.  I can adjust the balance by shifting the canoe forward or backward on my head, or sliding my paddle forward or backwards.  Since the canoe is resting on my head it is much higher than if it were resting on my shoulders so you still have a good view during the portage.  I only miss what is directly above me.
- I bring both a double blade (extra long) and single blade paddle.  The double blade is used most of the time, and I travel pretty quick.  The canoe tracks very straight so long distances into or across the wind are not difficult.  It's windy rivers and creeks where I have to work.  I've added Velcro paddle mounts to the canoe for both paddles.  The single blade paddle usually just stays strapped in until I want it.  The double blade quickly straps in/out when I transition.
- I single carry pretty much every portage.  Everything fits into my pack, or is strapped into the canoe.  I have netting on my canoe deck where I can keep a water bottle, map, sail, and other small items.  They stay in the netting during the portage.  The exceptions are very short portages (<20m) where I just couldn't be bo

You've already got your answer (counter clockwise), but I did a larger version of this trip last year, and going down the last stretch of the Little Madawaska I passed a canoe going the other way.  There was quite a current and it wasn't until we passed each other that I fully appreciated that I was heading in the right direction.  Going up the Petawawa was no big deal.  The portages were short but tiring after a long day.

Nothing else in that loop I can remember being overly 'directional'.
 

Opalescent has an extra site at the South end of the lake right next to the Southern-most site on the map.  Neither the official map, nor Jeff's map show the site.
 

I've had no problems making changes online.

When I stayed on Hogan two years ago I stayed on the Eastern site on the island.  It's a good site.  You can hike the ridge on the island to the other site.  There's a large raspberry patch when you get close to the Western site.  You'll probably be too late for that in September.  While I was there there was someone staying on the "point" site in the middle of the lake, and I could hear them quite clearly despite the ~1km in distance.  The other site on the island wasn't as good as the Eastern site in my opinion.  The site on the shore near the island has a weedy shore.  The "point" site didn't seem too appealing, and the other site around the corner......I've passed it twice and I don't really remember seeing it.  Probably not good.

From Hogan I passed through la Muir, and the only thing I remember was the site closest to the Hogan portage was taken.  I think it might have had a beach.

I passed through Hogan heading to Philips just a few weeks ago.  The Western most site in Parks Bay looked interesting, with beach potential.  The Western-most site is a huge slab of rock heading into the water.  Also has potential.  If you're not coming from Philips these might be more out of the way if you're heading to la Muir next.