While not necessarily in the same league, the vanguard tripods are very nice and a little more affordable. Many models seem well suited to hiking as they fold up pretty short. Additionally, when I bought my kirk bh3, it came with a plate... worth considering in the final cost total.
You've got to think about how much weight you want to put on your tripod, overshoot it a bit, and think about how heavy a tripod you want to carry around. Remember, the best tripod you have is the one you have with you. If it is too heavy and cumbersome, you'll find yourself not using it much.
Finally,
I found this article really useful when I searched for my tripod. A little dated, but overall, tripods haven't changed that much.
Whatever ballhead you end up with, I'd recommend an arca-swiss compatible head, not a gitzo or manfrotto head. Most photo people who think seriously about stabilization end up with arca-swiss... If you have arca-swiss then you can put your camera on your buddy's tripod and vice-versa.