Josh - I think you did a good job on your photo guide; you had a good day to take pictures as it was reasonably clear. You also made some good points about the total distance from the summit to the valley floor, especially on the east side. The only suggestion I'd have is modifying the cautionary language regarding the need for a 4x4 for the last 2 miles of road. I was there a couple of days ago, and while I've seen it in worse shape (I suspect grading is suspended during the sequester) it wasn't as bad as I've seen it in years past. While I parked my rental at the kilns and rode the last couple of miles with friends in a 4x4, at least one sedan was at Mahagony Flats ahead of us. You might say something like "the road above the kilns can be variable, so unless driving a high clearance vehicle, you may need to walk the last two miles" or something to that effect. This year even the gravel road which begins several miles lower - where the pavement ends above the campground - was in rough shape, compared to the last 6 years or so.
