I camped next to the Wes Anderson shelter last night (I think it was actually called Gren Anderson)

This is what my foot looked like this AM, plus I had a pretty good kankle going. The foot swelling was mostly from my feet being downhill of my head. The ankle and leg swelling was helped a lot throughout the day by the compression sleeve and Advil. I will try to elevate my feet when I sleep tonight which should help.  

The highest point in New Jersey (~1700′).
What a beautiful day. The morning was cool but it was hot in the midday sun.

The picture is a little dark showing the inside of the shelter at my mid AM break…but it’s very bad form setting up your hammock inside.
Wild and scenic NJ.

After the high point of NJ the trail descends into farmland. The fence stile was a little off kilter.

This structure is on a farm located a couple hundred yards off trail and owned by a former thru hiker. He allows hikers to stay here and has some deliciously cold well water coming out of a spigot This was a great treat as the water sources in NJ have been less than optimal (stagnant streams, scummy ponds, etc). This is the first time on the trail we’ve had less than great water.

The trail skirts around this wildlife refuge before climbing up the mountains in the background to the Pochuck shelter.

Overall, my leg improved noticeably today. About 3 hours of painful walking and 8 hours of modest discomfort… Definitely, headed the right direction. I seem to do better if I don’t stop for very long (<10 mins). Anymore than that and the pain would flare up. So this is why I wound up walking 26 miles today on a bum leg…not much stopping. I’m also encouraged that things feel pretty good after being off my feet in camp for the last 2+ hours. The last several nights everything starts to cease up when I stop. Hopefully there’s more improvement tomorrow. FYI, I got my first blister of the trip…probably from over compensating with my right foot.