EToy

Hey Folks,
I've recently developed an issue with my 97 4Runner 5 spd and I wanted to get a few opinions and input before I take it in to get looked at. I'm guessing this isn't going to be a cheap fix, so I'm hoping to at least have an educated guess at what's wrong before I bring it in.

The first red flag was a "whining" noise from the transmission in 3rd gear after a road trip from CO to WI and back. When I let off the gas in 3rd, I could hear a different transmission noise than what I was used to. Kind of a high pitched whining is about the only way I can describe it.

Then, about a month ago I started having issues getting the transmission into 3rd. It seems like it goes into the gate, but as soon as I start letting off the clutch, I get a gnarly grind. It doesn't happen all the time, but it's starting to do it enough that I'm afraid I'm going to grenade my entire transmission soon.

So here's where I need your opinion.
1) Anybody have any exprience with the same issue? From my limited knowledge about transmissions, it sounds like it might be a synchro issue, but I'd like others with experience to confirm this
2) Should I take my truck to a toyota specialist or a transmission specialist?
3) If I should take it to a transmission shop, anyone have any experience with any shops in the Boulder/Denver CO area?

Thanks in advance!