About Us

Justin and Gloria Hilgendorff, along with their 4 children are the proud new owners of the Salmon Catcher Lodge, in breathtaking Kenai, Alaska.

Justin grew up in the lodging industry at the Winter Clove Inn, a historic boarding house located in the small mountaintop community of Round Top, NY. This is where he still resides in the off season so that he can be with family for the holidays, hunt whitetail deer, and make maple syrup in early spring. Justin’s father owned and operated an excavating and trucking company which he ultimately took over and renamed Maple Ridge Enterprises Inc, a general construction and excavation company.<

Gloria was born and raised on a small dairy farm in Oak Hill, NY. Growing up on a farm lead to a strong work ethic and desire for a close-nit family business. Gloria and Justin met while attending The College of Saint Rose in Albany NY, and both working at the Winter Clove Inn.

In 2000, Justin’s 10-year-old cousin, Blaine, lost his long battle with cancer. Loosing Blaine had a profound effect on their lives and priorities. This sparked the sudden motivation to start adventuring across the States. The first of many road trips was to Alaska, where they spent a summer in Homer. While working, fishing, and exploring Alaska, they fell in love, both with each other and “The Last Frontier”, Alaska.

Justin & Glorida married in 2003. Justin began growing the excavation company and Gloria worked as a school teacher at Greenville Elementary. In 2009, they had the first of four children, Tristan, Austin, Juliette, and Parker. This is what prompted Gloria to give up her teaching career and stay at home where she worked hard, not only at family life, but running the everyday behind the scenes of the excavation company.

As wonderful as everything was, there was something missing. That something was more time together as a family and the great outdoors. In 2018 they sold their home and embarked on an epic family adventure, traveling full-time around the USA and Canada.

In the summer of 2022 Justin & Gloria Hilgendorff made it back to Alaska!

Justin attended flight school at Fly Around Alaska in Palmer, where he got his private pilot license. They spent an amazing summer fishing for numerous species, and hiking many mountain peaks, but no business opportunities presented themselves. The Hilgendorff’s returned home to New York in pursuit of another business opportunity that would ultimately fall through. It was at this very moment that Salmon Catcher Lodge seemed to fall into their laps. Justin & Gloria flew to Alaska immediately, looked at several lodges and they knew Salmon Catcher Lodge was the right fit for their family.