I have been meaning to paddle the upper stretches since I moved up this way. Yesterday we bagged the upper upper and today I decided to paddle from 278 to my house (couple miles below CR10) I packed a lunch extra gatorade and a flashlight. First let me say that both the upper upper and the next run 278 down to 51 are great runs. The upper upper was not too intimidating class II but had a real creeky feel (garden city at 4ft) and 278 to 51 was a great I-II creeky run (Garden city at 3ft). Both were very scenic. I saw all kinds of critters (wood ducks, blue heron, possible green heron, kingfishers, a hawk, some turtles, a buzzard, and found a tree full of Osprey nests (I think I may have saw one flying). But after 51 even though it started out with some rapids it quickly pooled up and became an epic flatwater paddle, still scenic but not nearly as much fun. I bet there is at least 6-8 miles of flatwater! I had pretty become resigned to the fact that I was going to be paddling in the dark. The best way I can describe this section is through this YouTube clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7wc55oXWf8 . I paddled furiously and finally had to rest and eat where there was sun and rock. While I was eating I heard the most beautiful sound...bells from across the way...church bells. I had been saved by Jesus, more specifically the "The Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament." At my darkest moment I was shown the light at the end of the tunnel. Once I paddled by the castle there were two sweet class II rapids that I will never paddle again unless the penguins let me put in at the castle. 3-4 miles later I was in my whirlpool tub in some hot mf water drinking some hot mf coffee. And it was only 3:30 pm I still had a couple of hours of daylight!