A Comment on Stairways

This is a quick comment.  As I re-read the recent blogs, I realized that the 2 hikes we took last week---the Pacheco Valley Walk and the Catarack Trail near Mt. Tam, both had high elevation.  One was 1000 ft. and the other was 800 ft.  But the difference in how strenuous they were seemed alot more than 200 ft.   I think it's because the Catarack Trail one had stairways on it.  True, they were rustic, just wood or rock, but it supports my theory that it's much easier to ascend a stairway than just a path.

Do you agree?