At 4:30 one recent morning, a dense fog lies heavily on Midcoast Maine. It’s close to the winter solstice, I am driving through a tunnel of fog, able to see no more than that carved out of the darkness by my car’s headlights. There are exactly no cars encountered in the seven-mile journey to Bath, nor in the cruise down Centre Street but then, wait, a glimpse of light, hazy at the edges but yes, the light is there, welcoming one in from the outdoors, in from the darkness.

This is the Bath Area Family YMCA, a beacon of light and hope during the dark days and long nights of this season. For those of us on a more “normal” schedule, the thought of people arising at 4 a.m. or 4:30 in the morning to come and work out at the Y defies logic. But for many the schedule is just something they abide by, no more weird than those who manage to workout during lunchtime or after school.

Take Doug Soucie, the man behind the reception desk at 5 a.m. on this particular morning. He seems unconcerned that at this ungodly hour there are still about three hours left before the sun peeks over the eastern horizon.

“Tell you the truth,” he says, “I’m not a morning person. But I like this shift, the people are great and I get to know most of them.”

People who work out on a regular basis become quite habituated to their workout schedule, so much so that when it is interrupted it feels like, well, similar to the rare times you forget to or can’t for some other reasons brush your teeth. One of those people is Jennifer Jorganson, who at 5:10 a.m. is busy on the elliptical trainer in the fitness room.

“I like coming early, it allows me to face the rest of the day in a good mood,” she says. “It’s a good basis upon which to build the rest of your day.”

Erica Losier helps out Y members in the fitness room from 5 to 8 a.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. She likes the early morning because when she finished work she has the rest of the day available.

From 5 in the morning until 9 in the evening, from dawn to dusk, whether you are a owl or a lark, the Bath Area Family YMCA awaits your needs.

The Landing Y

As a reminder, the Landing Y opens Jan. 12 at 24 Venture Ave from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The new facility includes a rubbersurfaced basketball court, three pickleball courts, aerobic conditioning stations, free weights, group exercise rooms, community room, locker rooms with sauna and two youth locker rooms. Check the Bath Area Family Y website for hours.