29er recommendations

[atombessy]

Hi ladies! I'm in the market for a new FS mountain bike. Currently I'm riding a Julianna (2006) size medium (21.5" toptube).

I rode a fancy Niner at a demo this weekend, the Carbon Jet 9 RDO - why do they let people try out a crazy expensive bike! It was very very nice, and now I have a bike shopping bug, but that price point just ain't gonna happen. What I'm looking for:

29er
22" toptube (so somewhere in the xsmall/small department for non WSD bikes)
full suspension - the stiffer the better? I think Julianna's older suspension is losing me a LOT of energy on climbs, she's great on rock gardens and roots, but I think overall I want a much less squishy rear shock.
prefer Shimano parts to Sram
Price point: $3k give or take

So what do you think ladies? What the best bang for your buck in that price range?

EDIT: I'm totally expecting an aluminum frame in that price range, sorry for not being clear!