Rich,
First the obvious - have you asked the Cascade folks about your concerns ?
Drier than most and land-arked to oblivion your finish is probably good to go. Checking in doug fir will occur naturally but far less than any of the oaks. Going to a heated environment may accelerate the process a bit but starting drier it has probably already occurred. Que sera sera.
Going for satin is only a question of how much labor and time you want to invest.
Have fun , work safe.
Deralte
