The evening before charging up the LiPo battery for the LED light, still little debating and looking at weather conditions, wet and windy night -- it's supposed to clear up nicely next day... Wake up early around 4:20, breakfast, last check on temperature -- just perfectly fine, arm warmers only. 5:20 closing the door and leaving for some thing long. May be a touch of Randonee? Pitch dark, pretty warm, little wet roads from earlier showers. Taking the fastest most direct route, relying on little help of the 705's navigation capabilities for the final miles to the "start". Rolling out of town, ghostly silent, pitch dark, just a few street lights, wet road absorbing most of his pretty powerful LED head light. Merging right on 25A and setting in a decent pace. Nearly no wind and if any, it's from behind. Few more wind exposed road sections were already about to dry up, nice! Deep thick low fog while approaching Calverton where the F14 is displayed -- pretty scary and a beam of light dissolving into the far. All sudden clearing up again between wooded area. A few isolated cars, pretty much zero traffic that time of the day -- nice. On 25 now. Miles seam to fly by fast, passing Edwards and soon reaching Riverhead and leaving it soon again on Flanders. A little morning light is coming up slowly. After some more miles finally merging onto Montauk Hwy. Perfect in time, passing the bridge at the Canal separating the East End of the South Fork. And very soon reaching Southampton -- just a few mins past 7am.
Finding his team mates and others, dropping off not any more needed lights at a friends truck, signing in for the "official part" of ToH. Quick water bottle top off.
About 7:30 leaving as a group of 5 GABs towards the Point. Beyond two flat stops and some dropped gear by others -- good moving to the Lighthouse.
While taking a few pictures out there a big group of riders passes by... to be caught up to very soon. Little snacking -- but unfortunately all facilities out there were already closed for the season.
Heading back via old Montauk/harbor. Catching up with that group and sitting on there easy until the next water stop... From there just a relaxed near chatty ride back via one more food stop. A few miles before the official finish (return to SH) Py left the group on his own venture all the way back to home. Now taking Newton... and Grumman and the usual finish via WR/North Country. Back home by 3pm.
