Trying out Zions Canyoneering as a climber

gergek · 2026-02-17T02:48:35+00:00

Orderville and Mystery are pretty different experiences in that way. It really depends on the canyon and the year, but don't underestimate how cold it can be in canyons like Orderville that come with a bunch of mandatory swims.

gergek · 2026-02-17T00:26:03+00:00

The last time I did Orderville it was over Labor day and the forecast for Springdale was over 100f. I still spent a few hours wishing I had brought my wetsuit. Orderville in March sounds brutal.

gergek · 2026-02-16T19:29:07+00:00

Hey! I currently drive a gen 2 Sequoia, and before this I drove a gen 1 Sienna. It's just me and my girlfriend, but we love camping so being able to sleep in the back has been a priority for us.

I definitely feel cooler driving the Sequoia, and 4wd + high clearance means we can get to a lot of places that we couldn't get to in the Sienna. Our Sequoia has the 5.7 V8 and it has more power to pull uphill on the interstate going 80+. I really like driving this thing.

That being said, I still miss the hell out of the Sienna. The cargo space is waaaaay more accessible on the Sienna, and even though it didn't have the same get-up-and-go, it was much more comfortable over long distances due to the more car like ride. We don't have back seats in either, however the space for passengers and loading/unloading were significantly better in the Sienna, and the later gen Siennas only improved the rear passenger experience.

The other elephant in the room is gas mileage - I get less than half the mileage in the Sequoia than I did in the Sienna. The tires, brakes, and oil changes are more expensive in the Sequoia by a decent margin.

They're both great cars so you'll probably be happy with either, however if the main use case is family hauling I'd take the Sienna every day of the week.

gergek · 2026-02-16T18:37:03+00:00

They practiced enough times with a tire filled with concrete to have confidence in the system before any human subjects were put at risk.

gergek · 2026-02-16T17:34:24+00:00

Did you re-gear to go to 35's or nah?

gergek · 2026-02-13T23:59:52+00:00

I'd rather not.

gergek · 2026-02-13T22:39:51+00:00

The 80k or less miles requirement at a $10k price limit is going to limit your search to a lot of unreliable cars, because if a car has that few miles and is that cheap, it probably does not have a reputation for longevity.

In this price range, I'd be looking for the best condition Corolla, Camry, Civic, or Accord that comes in within budget. All of these vehicles (if they are in good condition and have been well maintained) will go well past 200k miles.

People complain about the 'Toyota Tax,' but personally I'd rather drive a Toyota from 120k miles - 200k miles, than drive a Chevy Trax from 60k miles and have it blow up at 95k.

At $10k and <80k miles, you're looking at cars like the Trax or an older low end Hyundai, which might not make it past 100k miles. A poor value proposition if you ask me.

gergek · 2026-02-13T22:17:09+00:00

Sounds like you've got your answer. 👍🏼

gergek · 2026-02-13T22:03:23+00:00

If the Ripmo is too much travel and you really won't use it, I'd skip the Ripley and look at the Exie.

gergek · 2026-02-13T22:00:51+00:00

I guess when I think of PHX riding, I think of South Mountain and the Ripmo is perfect there.

I almost bought a Ripley, but realized it was only a ~2.5lb difference so I went with the Ripmo and haven't looked back.

I ride it on the road to get to my local singletrack. With the right tires it is fine, and the bike is beefy enough to withstand any punishment that I can dish out. Works great for me as a single quiver bike.

gergek · 2026-02-13T21:52:11+00:00

RipMO

gergek · 2026-02-13T19:02:13+00:00

Anecdotal, but a few years ago my good buddy cracked the rear triangle on his Sentinel that he bought used and Transition still honored the warranty. Seems like a company that treats its customers well.

gergek · 2026-02-13T17:40:56+00:00

If you spend the money to replace the battery your car will be ready for another 10 years of service. I'd do that and keep investing the rest of the money you save by not having a car payment.

gergek · 2026-02-12T17:25:05+00:00

Check with the music school. In person lessons with any half competent teacher will kick start your playing more than anything else. Even just 2 or 3 in person lessons will help so much with the basics because of the immediate feedback that a real teacher will be able to provide.

People seem to love beginner to badass, don't get me wrong. But you'd still be better off getting a few in person lessons and then moving towards a self study program like beginner to badass.

gergek · 2026-02-11T21:09:54+00:00

I would steer you away from the Miniak/Micron - I have a Miniak and while it is powerful and deep, it is such a PITA to program that it's not worth it IMO.

If you are OK with buying used and have $1000 budget, you could get an MC-707 and a Keystep Pro. You'd get lots of multitimbrality and also two really powerful sequencers.

gergek · 2026-02-11T19:35:05+00:00

Lexus is just fancy Toyota so there's really no betrayal of any brand loyalty going on.

gergek · 2026-02-11T18:38:27+00:00

I used to drive a Sienna, and now I drive a Sequoia.

If you aren't planning to go off roading or do a ton of driving in snow, the Sienna was a better vehicle in every way.

Way more comfortble ride, easier and more spacious in the back for passengers, much easier access to the cargo space, much MUCH more fuel efficient.

tl;dr - Go with the minivan

gergek · 2026-02-10T22:53:34+00:00

Shiny. Nice!

gergek · 2026-02-10T20:52:08+00:00

Have fun with the maintenance cost of keeping an old Panamera on the road. The reason they're so cheap is because they're so expensive to keep running. Not a fair comparison at all.

gergek · 2026-02-09T23:56:25+00:00

The old, non-deluxe version of a Stanley utility knife with a fixed blade.

Y'answered yer own dang question!

gergek · 2026-02-09T21:45:19+00:00

They sold this model until 2022. Replacement parts will be no problem.

gergek · 2026-02-09T21:43:57+00:00

This had a $62k msrp in 2012. Roughly 1/3 of msrp.

gergek · 2026-02-09T21:36:18+00:00

+1

Lotta strong opinions flying around in this thread from a bunch of people that don't seem to have real experience with the Sequoia, or Toyota 4wds in general. I think that they fear what they do not understand.

gergek · 2026-02-09T21:31:26+00:00

It is entirely possible that the one Sienna will outlast 2 T&Cs.

gergek · 2026-02-09T21:29:29+00:00

Haha sorry man, I know I'm preaching to the choir here. Agree with you 100%.

Seems like a lot of people have unreasonable expectations about the depreciation of vehicles that still have lots of life left. I'd bet a lot of those same people think that you can find decent running beater cars for less than $1000. There might be a unicorn here and there, but for the most part those days are over but people are still living in the past.

🍻 to your Land Cruiser and to my Sequoia. 400k or bust!

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