Thank-you, Adam. That's a good reality-check for me to hear, and it makes a lot of sense. I am thinking that it is not much more than a matter of me getting used to disc brakes and improving my braking habits.
I live in Portland, and ride all over Oregon, southern Washington, and northern California. So, needless to say, much of my riding includes long, steep, occasionally technical descents (and I am by no means a fast descender -- I make use of my brakes). I had never really thought of a mile at 10-ish percent as long, but I can see how realistically it -- indeed -- is, and requires a bit of technique if I'm going to be taking it slow and easy.
Do you think I might benefit from something like the Shimano "ICE" technology? The rotors that came with the Yokozuna brakes seem okay, but they are just a basic, one-piece, stainless steel rotor.