If you want a 42, you can get a 42 cog from Wolf Tooth or OneUp for a 10 spd cassette and not have to buy XX1. You ditch the 17 in exchange for it. BTW, I'm 54 and am fine with a 32 x 11-36. You can always get a 30 or smaller… I know it's a concern to not have a little ring to drop into--I had to get over it. But like another posted, check a gear chart and see if a 1X combo will cover you.

PS when I saw you were from South Bay, I thought SB of LA, hence the Santa Monicas mention.