Depends how old. The thing about stairs vs a true hike is stairs go pretty straight up as opposed to a switchbacking trail.
I do not. But have done a lot of camping and hiking all over the world. I like that area a lot though.
But have not spent as much time there in the last few years. Brother-in-law is Canadian and lives in Banff area near Calgary. So, most of my skiing and hiking have been done there lately in NA.
It is stunningly gorgeous with some great trails -- if you have never been; if you have, you know what I mean.
But I am in SA currently and there are a lot of good places here as well.
Gotcha. The pictures he showed were like a great commercial advertising for it though.
And for views, you can actually drive to the top of Larch mountain. To hike it would qualify as an actual climb as Larch mountain is an actual extinct volcano as opposed to beacon rock, which is a lava plug. They're are both, along with the hills of Portland, etc, remnants of the old Cascades, which now make up the foothills of the newer Cascades and it's younger, active volcanoes.
Larch? The crater one? Yes, many years back -- maybe mid 90s.
Banff! Chef's kiss!
Yes, pretty sure that is the one.
But not spent as much time in OR as in WA.
@StumpTownStu
Top five prettiest places on earth to me.
Absolutely, I agree.. 
It would be smart to take abortion off the ballot, and focus on the "guns & butter issues," Biden is an absolute loser, here (and practically all areas. Lol).
But DeSantis's 6-week abortion ban in FL has its high court now ruling that an amendment protecting abortion rights will be on the Florida ballot in November. I like DeSantis, but strategically, a 6 week abortion ban is out of touch w/ lots of people in America, and probably FL , too (including Republicans). Now, this ballot initiative potentially puts FL in play for Dems in the presidential election. Nothing like an abortion issue to bring out the single, urban, female voter. Just dumb from a strategic point of view. 
As a Republican, I think I take a different stance on abortion than most other Republicans. For starters, overturning Roe V. Wade IMHO was like unnecessarily kicking a hornet's nest. I get the argument from folks that the issue is now residing to "the states" where it should be. But I look at this way. Republicans (or conservatives in SCOTUS) have now taken away a right that was granted to a class of people for almost 50 years.... in this case, women. Whether someone agree/disagrees with the original decision in the 70s isn't even the point. A right has now been taken away, and left to that woman's state to decide this issue. Not good.
Republicans really need to get their act together, and not screw up this election over abortion. Oh, how the DEMs want this to be all about abortion (it's all they have to run on), and DeSantis et al has not helped here at all..
... and the "insurrection" nonsense. It's the first time in history an attempt to overthrow a government has been done w/ flagpoles and cardboard signs. 
The press, democrats, and common sense thinkers that falls for this B.S. should be ashamed of themselves.
Dems sure are a 'nutty bunch.
Trump removed the abortion topic and said it is a State decision and now he just has to show his policies verses Biden. It becomes a no-brainer as no one wants what we have right now.
Go America!
All those coming in at Joe's open border are really interested in healthcare, free schooling, free money and if they are old enough, they really want the free SS checks/Medicare. Joe will get that done PLUS pay off the college debt to get votes. We are adding a TRILLION DOLLARS to the National debt every 100 days. The credit card is well past the limit and they cannot stop!
"If your college degree doesn't produce enough value for you to pay it off, it certainly doesn't have enough value for your neighbor to pay it off."
Nov. 5th please come fast for the change this Nation needs.
Go America - Go Trump
All BIG government policies. No wonder a DEMOCRAT in this forum posted this... Interesting. 
Are there any Mods. that are Pro-Trump on the forum? Was curious as many of my posts and threads get boxed for being Pro-Trump.
Seems like a valid question to ask and last I checked it is not a bad thing supporting the 45th President of the USA in most forums.
Dang I thought some of your posts had good valid info. Others did not think it was very good.
See you over in the box.
This is a very rambling and confusing post.
Sorry that you were confused and this website has been rambling sense it conception. Personally I’ve been busy !
You do not think the IRS already looks into these?
No! And they haven’t for quite some time now! If they had the had additional resources maybe they would ? If you have been following the Trump tax case the IRS stated that the wealthy uses a disproportionate amount of the IRS resources (i.e., people) to go over them and it’s easier and more efficient to go after smaller fry. If one IRS agent can check my $40,000 income tax return and one more can check your $60,000 return and they can find $1000 worth of underpayment there (1%), how many IRS agents does it take to go over Richie Rich’s $5,000,000 return to find $50,000 worth of underpayment (also 1%)? Surely it’s not as high as 50 agents, is it? That would be the proportionate number of agents to the 2 agents going over our 100,000 income returns.
Sure, we’d cave, you and me, and pay the lousy couple of hundred bucks rather than pay a lawyer to fight the IRS, while Richie would probably have lawyers on retainer but I think it would be so much easier to put up a strong case that the IRS would win to find that they had cheated the government out of $50,000, requiring much less manpower (10 agents? 6?) that they’d come out ahead of the game, and show other RRs that they can’t get away with filing incorrect tax returns routinely.
Maybe it’s just sour grapes on my part–I’m not rich, and don’t plan to be, but I think a more aggressive audit policy for the wealthy would go a long way towards making middle-class people like me far less resentful. Is there a good reason for the IRS to be fearful of auditing the wealthy aggressively while going after small fry like me and you?
Are you saying the capital gains taxes should be the same as wages income? If so, why would that be good; anyhow would it be bad?
Why shouldn’t it! Money earned , Is money earned in the real world! But this is where the system gets gamed & slime, For the most part the average run of the mill Billionaires or let’s just say Very Rich person (usually) don't sell valuable stock. So how do they afford the daily expenses of life, whether it's a new pleasure boat or a social media company? They borrow against their stock. This revolving door of credit allows them to buy what they want without incurring a capital gains tax….. Now the truck driver, Lowe’s plumbing salesman or policemen has his tax deducted be Uncle Sam before he touches it and hasn’t even the ability to deduct his mileage or depreciation on his automobile as item he must have to get back and forth to his job!
But isn't the point to 'legally' make gains for the future?
Well that depends on if you feels about catastrophically devaluing or appreciating your holdings suit your tax form or loan application to suit your needs legal ? Also with a straight face say that Trumps practices are isolated or common place, I chose to believe for the most part the majority of the 1% wants every nickel in the room with interest!….What did Gordon Gekko say… Greed is a Good Bud!
@joe pockets
No problem. I never know if folks are talk texting and then posting here. This is not really the type of forum to be the grammar police. But the run-on sentences and grammar aside, this is more or less what I was referring to about the confusing part:
What do you mean by "...legally & illegally cheat and gain the system with great desire to either sustain or better there gains for the future!" How do you 'legally' cheat? I assume you meant to 'game' the system and 'their' gains? But isn't the point to 'legally' make gains for the future? If so, how is that 'gaming the system'?
You never explained what you meant by that?
You do not think the IRS already looks into these
No! And they haven’t for quite some time now!
I am not sure what you mean by this. They absolutely still audit returns. They also audit higher income returns at a much higher rate than the average income returns.
Because of this very fact I think there is even more of an incentive to not cheat, 'illegally or legally'. The folks that have to use accountants and CPAs may have more write-offs, etc. than the average guy. But those guys are for sure more diligent about doing the return right. For sure, you do not want to have to hire enough folks to make sure every return is audited. There is a very good argument to be made to simplify the tax laws to the point that it is much more straight forward to do without a lot of 'shady' room being possible, intentional or not. That would make fewer IRS resources necessary. No, I have not kept up with Trump's in detail. But I am fairly sure he is audited far more than the average person is. Especially with the 'directive' they have had the last few years.
I do not think it is 'sour-grapes' -- it is a 'feeling' a lot of folks have. The media and others push the 'jealous' attitude and make others feel like the richer folks are 'getting over' on the system. I can make the point that the opposite is more likely. They know they are under more scrutiny. For example, I used to know a lot of folks that would 'buy' other folk's kids SSNs to use every year -- but, I never knew one to get caught. So, a lot of it is perception and being upset that the rich have more tax-friendly vehicles available to use. For sure, it would not make the news as easily as a 'rich' person getting caught doing something underhanded. If enough folks are upset with the current system they need to get a campaign going to adjust it.
@joe pockets
Are you saying the capital gains taxes should be the same as wages income? If so, why would that be good; anyhow would it be bad?
Why shouldn’t it!
Yessir. That is my question to you. Do you understand what happens if this were done? Have you looked at what happens in the past when this has been tweaked? I am simply asking if you have looked into both side of this issue before assuming that is the best plan for everyone and the country overall, and not just the individuals advocating for this?
It goes back to the previous answer above -- it is a political issue to grab votes and is pushed by a lot of folks and the media. Even some of the 'rich' say this -- knowing it will never happen.
This is NOT where 'the system is gamed' at all. This is the law. Again, if enough folks want to change the law --start that process.
But for sure, you are conflating issues here. The borrowing and the taxes are related -- but very separate issues.
Even the Lowe's truck driver can BUY whatever stock he wants without paying capital gains taxes -- so this does not matter. BUT both the Lowe's truck driver and the billionaire pay capital gains when they SELL that stock -- if it was for a profit.
For sure, anyone can deduct business expenses and write off depreciation if it is business related.
For sure, the average person can go get whatever loans they can get and buy stock. Absolutely they can; just not at the scale the rich can.
But everyone has their wages taxed and the rich have a much higher tax bracket on those.
But certainly, once you are not having wages and are able to live off of income from capital gains, you will be taxed differently. That applies for the average guy and the rich the same.
This has been studied by economists and the incentive for the system is better for the economy overall.
But once you are retired you will be glad that your capital gains are not taxed the same way that your wages were while you were working.
It is simply something folks use to stir up the average person -- because they know people are instinctively 'jealous' of others. People want to say that is why they are doing so well -- when it has been proven time and time again that this is not the case.
The overwhelming tax burden is proportionately carried by the wealthy. It is not a fair system at all, but folks want us to think it is unfair for the average person -- when in reality, it is the rich that bears an 'unfair' tax burden. Then they try to stir everyone up by saying they are gaming the system with capital gains on top of 'not paying their fair share' already.
Established in 1995,
Those poor women!! 
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