K-Horse:
First, my apologies to Richard P. -- while not intending to hi-jack this thread, I shared krazyhorse's concerns re the Ledges until a recon hike up the North Fork three weeks ago in preparation for the MR overnighter I'll be doing with some friends in about a week.
Bottom line, Krazy, is that the Ledges aren't that tough. If you are paying attention, and stay on the route and don't get into areas where you're not supposed to be, the exposure isn't really that bad at all. I'd liken it to some narrower step-sections of Half Dome's SubDome, or maybe Zion's Angel's Landing as far as the exposure is concerned. A buddy of mine and I handled the Ledges on this recon hike without any problems at all.
What helped a MR first-timer like me: BobR's photos. Take a look at his link (below). They are terrific. Also do a search of "Ebersbacher" on this Board for the past couple of seasons -- you'll find a wealth of information (SnowNymph's and Richard P.'s photos are also pretty darn good, too). The photos are truly worth a thousand words.
Okay, back to BobR's photos. While others may eschew the method, I made a little route booklet of his E-Ledges photos in order, shoved it in my pocket and after taking my time and working my way up the MR last month, I pulled out the pics and put them to use. It's easy to match up the landmarks in the photos with those you'll encounter. Bob did a great job laying it all out.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rockwellb/sets/72157600322219631/Before you know it, they're behind you. While the descent is a little more tricky than the ascent, it's really not bad at all. I would have to agree with others, though, who've commented that it's important to hit this section in the daylight.
Really study the photos you see on this Board so that when you get there, you'll know when to expect, say, the large old pine to which you're supposed to stay left ... or the large anvil-shaped boulder to which, again, you're supposed to stay left.
Go slow, stay focused, and hike smart. Good luck to you.
BruinDave