All of the 80s I worked in the wilderness all summer, and volunteered in the university darkroom all winter (paying for a 'Extended Education' unit to be legal). By the 90s I was getting paid to run the darkroom, and in the summer took hikes.
I got into the habit early on of having one or two (occasionally three) all-night printing sessions (or neg developing, whatever). Getting to the darkroom at 9pm, I'd start preparing for the night, usually end up helping students until the darkroom closed at midnight (sometimes earlier). No students/proffs in the building, few people on campus, the custodians gone by 1:30, and the campus police got use to me. I'd print until daylight, washing the last 16x20 prints and cleaning the darkroom before the first 8am class.
Endless space, water, electricity, chemicals, enlargers (and UV sources when I went to alt processes) -- not to mention full size mount press and so on. About 35 years...got pretty spoiled. But hours upon hours alone working in 19 enlarger darkroom and other facilities. No distractions, at least until I got internet in my office/storeroom. Concentrating on the work in front of me.
After I cleaned up the darkroom for the morning class, I'd walk into town and get breakfast. Then walk back to my office and start work at 10am. Stay functional best I could until 2pm and then end of my day. I'd ride the bicycle home or drive, and sleep...hopefully after I got all the way home. The birth of my triplets in 1997 change the schedule drastically. After a few years I managed to get in an all-night printing session once every couple of weeks, then every week. Now -- an all-nighter every month is pretty wild for this old man! I can get more sessions in if I cut them off by 4am.
