I looked at a tricross very carefully and thought I was going to buy one for many of the reasons you imply. In the end I decided not to go for the tricross for a few reasons, though I still think its a great bike.

1. I decided I didn't want the interrupters after commuting on my road bike for a while and realizing I would probably not use them frequently.
2. I was concerned with heel clearance with panniers, since I have large feet. Decided a bike with a longer chain stay might be better.
3. Didn't have a model that was exactly what I wanted. Was looking at a 2013 Elite Steel Disc or a comp (i think that was the top model). I decided I wanted better components then the elite, particularly the disc brakes, and eventually decided I wanted a steel bike for comfort over aluminum. I might consider the 2014 aluminum if it had a carbon fork.

Ultimately I decided to look at other bikes. The Specialized AWOL is on I have been considering, a bit more versatile the the tricross and can be a good tourer too, plus the comp seemed very well spec-ed. I have also considered a number of other bikes, such as the Surly Straggler (essentially a CrossCheck with disc brakes).