Setting weight aside....I think the Gary Fisher bikes will do most of what you want very well. I'm riding an '09 Kaitai. I think they have re-aligned the '10 and '11 models to a lower component group (no disc brakes on the '10), so a Utopia or Montare is likely a better buy. It has become my heavey commuter. I've got it outfitted with full fenders front and rear, rear rack, lights etc. Fully dressed, I'll admit it's a bit portly (~37lbs or 16.7kb), but the geometry and handling is superb. I can mount up 28mm road tires and quite nearly keep pace with my 18lb (8.2kg) road bike, or I can throw on the 700x45 knobby tires and it's a great bike for light singletrack. It will take an even wider tire if you chose to run one. Without all of the commuter goodies that I have on there, it is actually a pretty nimble handling 29er. I would say it handles like a significantly lighter bicycle.

I really only have two complaints about the bike:
1) I wish I would have spent the extra for the Montare for the upgraded suspension alone. The fork doesn't lock out completely (few do) and when not locked out, it's still a little too spongy for my taste. The nicer fork on the Montare would be worth the price difference and the upgraded components would just be a bonus.
2) It only has one set of mounting points for rack or fenders. If you want to mount both, you have to get creative. My fenders are actually mounted to the rack using P-clips, and the rack uses the existing mounting points on the frame.