[radagastly]

Originally posted by Fordim Hedgethistle:

I think it's utter silliness to think that Gandalf actually wanted to go through Moria--he's not so coy that he would carefully manage things like that, he would have stated from the start "let's go that way."

But he did say almost exactly that:

"There is a way that we may attempt," said Gandalf. " I thought from the beginning, when first I considered this journey, that we should try it. But it is not a pleasant way, and I have not spoken of it to the Company before. Aragorn was against it, until the pass over the mountains had at least been tried."

So he conceded the argument to Aragorn's choice.

They might then have held a course north and around Lothlorien, or maybe even snuck by on the western border between the forest and the mountains.

I suspect you're right in possibly wanting to avoid Galadriel, all things considered, but I can't imagine he would pass Lothlorien on it's northern side and then turn south. They would have to cross Anduin and pass within sight of Dol Guldur. If it's visible from Cerin Amroth, it would certainly be visible fifty miles closer. It would also put the river at their back, cutting off any retreat if an attack came from there. If they were trying to avoid Lorien at all, they would likely have followed the edge of the mountains until they reached the northern border of Fangorn. They could then follow Limlight downstream to Anduin and so on to Mordor.