+1 go to a 24t ring and the an 11 or 12-34 cassette you might also look at the 13-34 and 12-34 cassettes offered by Harris as you don't need really high gears.

However, you really have a range of gears that is good now. I feel that people worry too much about gearing on touring bikes because they are afraid of riding in the mountains with a lot of gear and they figure that lower gears are the answer. There's a limit to just how slow you can go and how fast you can spin on a bike. There's no shame to getting off the bike and pushing if things get tough. I'd also look at your gear list and reduce its weight and improve your fitness by getting a single speed bike and riding lots of hills. That way gearing will become less of a factor in your climbing