Living in Quebec where we have groomed trail centres, it's nice to have one. I usually xc ski to stay in shape in the winter, but I just bought a cheap CCM Brut that I completely upgraded with spare parts and I love it! I wasn't sure if I'd ride often and we are expecting a kid so I tried to keep the investment to a minimum and I have 0 regrets.
The geo isn't perfect, it's not too light (36 lbs with dropper and light tubes) and it wasn't visually the nicest steed at all before I did some adhesive vinyl work on it, but it brings me out to the trails almost every night now! I had to tear it down completely, regrease everything, adjust the hub preload, properly tension the wheels and replace almost everything, but since I had a spare 11spd drivetrain, bars, grips, pedals, saddle, I just added better tires (CST Toboggans 26x4") and a TranzX externally-routed dropper and it was a whole different bike. Even steep climbs are doable with the right psi and cadence, and the gearing I have is spot on for the trails around (11-46 x 32).
My Lezyne helmet + handlebar lights combo is perfect to go explore snowshoe trails at night, escape the daylight crowds and blind other fat bike riders so they can't see my low budget steed 😂
That said, if the ground wasn't covered by a few feet of snow during 4-5months of the year, I wouldn't have bought one. Although it's a nice reminder of the simplicity and fun of just going on a ride on a rigid bike, and riding at night on snow is a pretty cool experience every time. Plus it will probably make me enjoy my cushy FS bike even more next summer!