Morgan and Margaret From Mountain Men Are Kind of Our Heroes

May 2024 · 5 minute read

Morgan and Margaret are two ‘Mountain Men’ cast members we can’t get enough of. Here’s a look at their homesteading life, including how you can visit!

Abi Travis - Author

History Channel’s Mountain Men follows the stories of people who have chosen to leave modern life behind and make it on their own in the wilderness. As you might expect from the concept of the show, it features quite the cast of characters. Each cast member is just a little bit (or maybe a lot) eccentric in their own way, but they’re all incredibly talented individuals who have dared to question the status quo and forge a new way of life — or an old one, depending on how you think of it.

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Two Mountain Men cast members we especially enjoy are Morgan and Margaret. The two of them built a homestead in the Alaska Range and have lived there for five years. They also run an eco-guiding business. Here’s a closer look at two of our favorite Mountain Men members.

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Meet Morgan and Margaret from ‘Mountain Men.’

Morgan Beasley and Margaret Stern are the masterminds behind Apricity, their homestead located in a remote corner of Alaska. They first moved to Alaska in February of 2015 and have since focused on crafting a life off the grid for themselves and their animals (they currently have six horses, three dogs, and six chickens).

According to the Apricity website, Morgan graduated from the University of Idaho with a degree in Environmental Science. He has worked several different jobs, including in construction, cabinetry, fish processing, on trail crews, and as a guide — obviously, his pre-homestead life was the perfect precursor to where he is now. He is an expert at long, solo backpacking trips and has trekked across the Alaska Range twice. On Mountain Men, viewers have watched him build and fix just about everything.

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Morgan’s partner Margaret Stern is originally from Houston, Tex. She studied Botany and Natural History at College of the Atlantic in Maine, while also learning about draft horse work, farming, and taxidermy. She went to Alaska after graduating and quickly fell in love with the state. Suffice it to say, both Margaret and Morgan love the great outdoors, and they’re absolute professionals when it comes to living the homestead life.

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Today I woke up, and thought “I’ve missed some important day. Hmm.. Valentines is next week, no birthdays, no other holidays...” and then I realized I forgot the day we first camped out and arrived on the property. It’s funny how those landmarks seem to somewhat lose their importance as the years go by. The day to day overshadows the date— getting the airplane worked on, stockpiling more gear to fly out, paying bills. But that day was momentous. It shaped the next five years... and all the years that will follow. Despite all the changes that have occurred: cabin, addition, barn, shop, outdoor kitchen, horses, the loss of a dog, the acquisition of a dog, the many people we’ve met, the many folks we’ve hosted, the acquisition of airplanes, the building of airstrips, the big ol’ garden and the high tunnel— this day, with a blank slate set out before us, is still my favorite. That day we arrived, we fried and ate a pound of bacon for dinner over an open fire and sipped scotch. A grand celebration. Rufous, known then only as puppy, saw his first fire and watched each spark thrown as it tracked its way skyward. That day, we met the landing lake for the first time, set up our fantastic tent with woodstove and slept in expedition bags in our new home landscape. It’s a big day, the most important anniversary. Always worth celebrating. February 9, 2015. I’m a couple days late, but tonight we drink scotch, and maybe I’ll fry up some bacon. In this warm, new space, however, I don’t think I could eat a whole pound of it. -MS #homesteaders #anniversary #bigriver #newbeginnings #getoutside #liveyouradventure #exploremore #homesteadlife #offthegrid #wintercamping #expeditionlife #thegoodlife #fromscratch #cabinlife #baconlove #countrysidethemeoftheweek #lifeisforliving #beginnings #reality

A post shared by Apricity AK Homestead (@ak_homestead) on Feb 11, 2020 at 12:15pm PST

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You can stay on Morgan and Margaret’s homestead, too!

Although Apricity is located far from other people (their nearest neighbor is 15 miles away!), Morgan and Margaret are not irascible loners. Part of their goal in homesteading is to teach others about their lifestyle, possibly even inspiring others to take on the challenge of living a more rustic life. They invite people to visit them and dedicate their time to teaching their craft to anyone who’s curious. 

They’re also great at sharing information via Instagram (they have access to satellite internet that runs off of solar panels or a small generator). We honestly feel like we could spend hours scrolling through their beautiful pictures of homestead life and reading their very thoughtful captions. If you start feeling the itch to explore the outdoors with Morgan and Margaret, book a trip through their site! Just don’t expect a relaxing vacation — we’ve all seen how rough wilderness life can be on the show, right?

Catch new episodes of Mountain Men on the History Channel Thursdays at 9 p.m.

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