My conditions are also variable, although summer is always hot and rarely wet.... Kansas.
I started dabbling in orchids around the same time period. Bark medium and I never got along well either. Have a couple of plants I need to transition to semi-hydro, and a few phals that have climbed out of the pot. Think I'll grab some lava rock and give it a go with some. I do want to stick to the semi-hydro concept because of not wanting to water often. Will be interesting to see how well it wicks. Thanks for sharing your culture with us.