Driving down Big Bear Mountain in Cali?

Which is a LONG decent…my tires (or brakes) started to SMOKE..and the smell was of burning rubber. SO I was probably riding my brakes going down the mountain. Hey I'm from San Diego and was scared SH&*less of the enormous drops fearing I might fall to my death if I didn't go any faster than 20 mph. So my question is…Should I replace my brakes? or was it just because I was riding them down the mountain? After I got on the freeway I didn't smell or see any smoke and I stopped several times along the way to check.

Thank you all for your help

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Answer:
You should get them checked. Your lucky they didn't catch on fire. You need to use controlled braking when on a large down hill like that it will allow your brakes to cool before you use them again. You could warp your rotors the way you did it. Control braking is were you let the car cost down the hill about 5 MPH faster then you want to be at and then push firmly on the brake until you get 5 MPH under were you want to be at. That one way the other is a little more for the experienced and that a constant (the same) pressure all the way down. You can drop down a gear even in an automatic and the engine will help hold you back a little bit. This is how the truckers come down those big hills and the weigh 80,000 you car weighs like 3,000. Hope this helps. O if your brakes get hot like just so you know you lose most of your stopping ability if you don't lose all of it good luck and drive safe