"since i have lenses+bodies+various point+shoots strewn around the house, friends always come to me before they make a camera purchase. when it comes to a SLR camera purchase, i always ask them what is the purpose of the purchase? modern day digital camera are so advanced, it is almost pointless to use a impractical set up using a large bulky body + a number of heavy expensive lenses.
here's a database of photos taken with a digital camera that is old and replaced by models that have been replaced by models. take a look at the quality of the photos produces this camera. newer models have more features and even better quality.:
http://www.pbase.com/cameras/fujifilm/finepix_s7000z
it not only takes excellent photographs, but it also takes videos (no dslr takes videos) and allows you to take photographs with the LCD (only a few dslr models have this feature). for the average photographer, it can do 90% of what the dslr can in a comparatively compact body.
take a serious look at the sony and fujifilm slr-type prosumer models.
photography is an excellent hobby that can last a life time, but i've seen too many people get in over their heads by going the SLR route. there are a lot of lenses/filters/accessories to carry around. also there are a lot of post processing (photoshopt, etc) needed for most dslr's since there is less in camera processing. that's a lot of work if you just want to take some photos. if your goal is to take good photos, then it's not necessary to get a dsr. if your goal is to become a hobby photographer willing to sacrafice portablility and practicality for an extra stretch of creativity then go for the dslr.
as for the nikon vs. canon, just go for either. both brands have a cult following and i honestly don't feel one brand is better than the other. choose the one that feels best in your hands. i started shooting with a nikon and just stayed with nikon
this is what got me into the slr world...30+ year old nikon goodness
i'm not familiar with the canon lenses, but there are a few excellent low price "consumer" level lenses in the nikon line-up. sure, you can go all out and spend $$$ on the pro-glass, but pro-glass is bulklier, heavier, and many times more expensive than their consumer counter parts while the output quality is not much better under normal everyday conditions. the 18-55mm and the 18-135mm nikon lenses are two excellent, versatile lenses. for someone just getting into the hobby, i'd suggest starting with a good consumer level lens and then explore the hobby and add lenses as you progress and out grow the lens. a great addition could be a compact/fast prime like nikon's 50/1.8 or 50/1.4. It will allow for experimenting with fast aperatures and show the difference between zooms vs. primes. even though zooms are very versatile, I prefer shooting with primes and "zooming" with my feet (if you are shooting a lot of stationary objects, like cars, scenery, portraits, then primes are the better choice)...a lot of photographers are the same way, so don't go spending a $1000~$2500 on pro-grade zoom lenses just yet.
good luck on the new hobby. just think long and hard before jumping into the world of SLR. i see too many people on the photography forums i'm on spend thousands of dollars and then letting the equipment go to waste."
and to add to it, are you sure you want to be bring thousands of dollars of equipment to the mountain? snow + camera equipment = not a good mix. it's one thing ot be bring expensive equipment if it's your profession (and know how ot use the equipment], it's another to big a nice camera and use the kit lens on auto mode...
on a side note, the question you need to be asking is "what lens should i get for...[insert scenario here]" and not which camera. what type of shooting do you intend to do? lighting conditions? budget? etc.
here are some photos i took years ago with a fuji s7000. camera like these (newer models of course) are more than enough to take good photos.
