Please, please, please go look at what your peers locally are riding. Find people who are riding the terrain and distances you want to. Find people of your age, fitness, strengths, weakness, etc. and look at what they are riding.

We can give you pros and cons until we are blue in the face and your eyes are glazed over. Go talk to your peers locally.

Opinions are all over the place. Go read Sheldon Brown's article on gearing (may he RIP). Search on this site for compact or double vs triple.

No one here can give you a qualified opinion without knowing exactly the terrain you are riding, how strong a rider you are, whether you have any knee or back issues, etc. We don't even know which side of the Cascades you are on and that can make a difference. Or whether you plan to take your bike to super high oxygen-deprived altitudes.

Go find your local peers.