I just built up a Rocky Blizzard frame around Christmas to use as my winter bike. My ETSX was put up for the winter. Snow's gone and I am still riding the Blizzard. I forgot for awhile how great a good hardtail could be. Now I have a choice depending on where I am headed. Longer marathon rides will probably be on the ETSX and the shorter rides on the Blizzard. Suspension is nice, but I feel so much more connected to the trail on the hardtail.
With a current personal quiver of 9 bikes, if I had to pick one to keep and get rid of the rest, it would be the Blizzard. Best all around hardtail I have ever sat on. Rocky dialed the geometry well. Combine that with the 100 mm front fork and disc brakes and I am in pig heaven when the trail gets squirrelly.