How to minimize wear on brakes?
Wear on rim brakes can be reduced by washing your bike to remove grit from the wheels, and by cleaning out the cleaning grooves in your brake pads.

You can also increase braking effect by sitting up as much as possible, so your body acts as an airbrake.  This will reduce the braking effort required by your rims.  

Are there any routes with perhaps a greater distance but lower elevation changes?

Remember, no braking on the turns.  You need to drop your velocity before hitting the corner, then drift through the corner.  Braking on the turn makes you more likely to loose traction.