Doe

3. Highway 19E bridge @ Hampton High School to Covered Bridge Park - Elizabethton(Lower Doe)

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August 31, 2008

Trip Report

ReporterJason Altman

The Nolichuckey was running at 19000 cfs the other day which is way above my experience level, so decided to try this little section of the Doe. The Doe was running about 290 cfs and we had not been down this section, but we decided to give it a try. It took us about 2 hours to go from the Hampton school to the park in Elizabethton.

250cfs is probably the bare level for this section. It has some nice little play spots and a few nice little class II's. I would highly recommend this section to beginners and those that need practice with ferrying, eddying, and making your moves in tight spaces. Be careful on this run for fallen trees and strainers on the bank at high water levels.
There are plenty of places to put in and take out on this stretch and you are never far from civilization, but it is a beautiful river when it runs. It takes a good rainfall on Roan Mountain for the river to rise to a runnable level.