I ended up pulling the trigger on the G3 Reverend. I spent some time talking to my buddy at Vail, and we're all about the slack country and some sled-assisted touring, and lots of tree skiing, so I went with the 177's. I figure I can tough it out if they're a little squirrely on the firm, as long as they have some sidecut (much better than my current 8800's) I'll deal. Freeride Plus was 25% off at BC.com, so the deal is done.
Thanks for all your input folks.
So, how much $$ do you think I should ask for my 8800's with Freerides and BD ascend skins?