how about a photo of your bike and setup Brian?
24lbs isnt much at all. I do like using front and rear panniers to spread the weight around, makes a bike handle better overall.
I step over the toptubes on my bikes when I mount and dismount generally.
I've ridden a fair amount of dirt roads of all sorts, and find 1.5's to be a minimum, and ride wider on one bike that Ive toured on a lot. 1.5's are a good compromise of going well on pavement and dirt roads, but I do prefer slightly wider, but then there are so many diff tires out there, there are loads of options.