You may want to look at some of the 29'er rigids as a suitable option that would provide more clearance. I've also seen some carbon rigids that LOOK like suspension forks on Ebay that are light and look decent enough. No reviews of them that I could find though.
I think you were wise not to go with a 55mm drop in fork length. That would be a BIG change to the front end geometry. Not only that but it would have lowered your bars by that much for far more of a crouch in your riding position. Not only that but it would have angled your seat tube forward and reduced your pedal clearance by significant amounts. All in all fine if you wanted a triathalon time trial like geometry but not really the ideal setup for charging dirt roads or trails.