Hibernation Season: Where I’ve Been and Why

I owe you an explanation for the radio silence.

Or maybe I don’t. But I’ll give you one anyway.

The Bear Theory

I’m pretty sure I’m part bear.

Not in the cool way—no claws, no strength, no intimidating presence. Just the hibernation part. When winter rolls in and the cold settles into my bones, my body stages a quiet rebellion. It tells me to stay inside. Drink coffee. Avoid anything that requires lacing boots or leaving the driveway.

And honestly? I listen.

The cold never really agreed with my hips. Even before the replacement, winter was the worst. Bone-on-bone grinding gets meaner when the temperature drops. Now, with titanium in there, it’s not pain exactly. Just stiffness. A deep, persistent ache that makes every step feel like negotiation.

So I hibernate. Not dramatically. Not completely. Just enough that the camera stays in the bag more often than it should. The trails wait. The blog sits quiet.

Winter and Titanium Don’t Mix

Here’s what nobody tells you about hip replacement: the hardware doesn’t like the cold.

It’s functional. It works. But on January mornings when the air bites and the ground’s frozen, my hip feels like someone installed a bolt that forgot to warm up. It’s not broken. It’s just cranky. And so am I.

I can push through it. I have before. But I’ve learned that fighting your body when it’s asking for rest is a good way to make things worse. So I don’t fight it. I just slow down. Take the winter months to do less trail-chasing and more sitting-by-the-fire-drinking-mediocre-coffee.

It’s not exciting. It’s not Instagram-worthy. But it’s honest.

We’ll Be Back

This isn’t me quitting. Or giving up. Or deciding I’m done with trails and photography and all the things that make this site what it is.

This is just me acknowledging that I move slower in winter. That my body needs rest. That some seasons are for grinding and some are for waiting.

Spring’s coming. The trails will thaw. My hip will cooperate a little better. And I’ll be back out there—camera in hand, boots laced, probably still moving slower than I’d like but moving nonetheless.

Until then, consider this the winter update: I’m alive. I’m fine. Just hibernating like the part-bear I apparently am.

Thanks for sticking around.

We’ll be back to shooting soon.