In Newfoundland’s wild west — the less touristy coast — I find plenty of outdoor adventures on land and sea

“Bald eagle! Bald eagle! Bald eagle!” he calls out, three times, pointing up and off the starboard side. Sure enough, two tufted white heads peer down on us from the treetops, perhaps united with us in our hope that we will soon bring a big fish to the surface — and they’ll swoop down for a taste.

I spot many more of these beautiful birds as we drop our lines in the water, trying a few of Park’s favourite spots. The nibbles come slow, but the stories flow fast. Park points out long stretches of shoreline that once comprised a bustling fishing community. “This is all resettled land,” he says. “Back in the 1960s, they floated houses right across the water.”

At one point, we navigate past a series of very tall sea cliffs. “This was a cannonball practice site for the French navy,” says Park, not clarifying when — although I figure it must’ve been long ago. The French still had a significant naval presence around Newfoundland in the late 1700s.

As the sun climbs in the sky and the air warms, our chances for catching a fish drop. Even our eagle friends seem to have given up and flown off. And then, my rod twitches. At the end of my line, is that a bite?

I’m on a press trip to experience the wild side of Newfoundland’s west coast. When we think about outdoorsy fun in Canada, British Columbia or Alberta often leaps to mind first. But here, from the craggy ridges of the Blow Me Down Mountains to the beauty of the Bay of Islands, I discover there’s plenty of adventures on land and sea around Corner Brook, the province’s second city (which is far less visited than the capital, St. John’s, over on the east coast). And because this is Newfoundland, all of the fun comes with a good story — including pirate tall tales told by a self-professed buccaneer.

With the long history of this land — from the Indigenous people who’ve lived here since time immemorial to the European settlers who began arriving in the latter part of the 15th century — comes lots of legends. And Paul Gale is dealing stories on the day I visit his lodge and outdoor adventure company, Pirate’s Haven, a little over an hour southwest of Corner Brook. But first, he leads our small group on a fairly epic ATV trip.

Heavy rain has nixed the initial plan to ride along the coast. So instead, I’m following Gale, steering my roaring vehicle up into the foothills of the Long Range Mountains, the last stretch of the Appalachians. Further north, there’s a range of the same chain called, rather evocatively, the Blow Me Down Mountains.

As the wind and wet lash down, I’m glad Gale has lent me his neon orange/yellow rain jacket and matching pants. And a funny thing happens: As the weather worsens, he seems to get only happier. At one point, he stops his four-wheeler and strides back to shift mine into a lower gear. “We’re going to do some river ridin’ now!” he cries, almost ecstatic.

And we do, descending onto a shallow stretch of Robinsons River. I navigate carefully over the rocks, white water rushing beneath my feet, the hardy tires throwing out great gushers on all sides. Looping back up to the main lodge at Pirate’s Haven, we find that Ruth Forsey-Gale, our guide’s wife and business partner, has prepared a crackling fire in the wood stove.

As we begin to dry out, the couple places heaping plates of steaming moose burgers and sausages on the table. While the conditions weren’t ideal, Gale still feels like the ride went well. (I agree.) “We’re all about the outdoors, nature and showcasing hidden places,” he says, smiling brightly.

Gale tells me he’s always been a pirate (I presume spiritually if not literally), and certainly looks the part, with a bandana, long hair and a big, bristly moustache. He starts to regale us. One tall tale is a love story that took place right near here. A young first mate for Peter Easton, the legendary 17th-century English pirate, jumped ship — with some of the booty — to pursue his passion for the daughter of another privateer.

Gale launches into a second story. Distracted by drying my socks, I quickly lose the plot, but it involves poisoned wine and a captain stabbed through the throat. Perhaps he spots a few dubious looks among the group. “This is history!” he exclaims. “You can look it up!”

The adventures continue. Just east of Corner Brook, I go ziplining with Marble Zip Tours at Marble Mountain Resort, soaring almost 30 stories over the thunder of Steady Brook Falls. On the Port au Port Peninsula, to the southwest, I hike a stretch of Danny’s Trail, encountering rabbits and looking for seals, seabirds and whales in the clear waters of the bay, which is backed by rugged mountains.

And right near Corner Brook, on the Bay of Islands, I take a Zodiac trip while a guide with Everoutdoor Adventures relates local town history, and legends about buried treasure, including the one where Spanish sailors carved a face on the peak of Shellbird Island — now known as the Man in the Mountain — to mark the spot.

Back on Cox’s Cove, my adrenalin surges as I realize I’ve got a fish on my line. But, alas, only for a moment. As I set the hook and start to reel it in, the rod quickly goes slack, as the creature down below slips off and swims away to fight another day.

But all is not lost. As we head to Park’s cabin, another crackling fire awaits on a beach. He will prepare a beautiful seafood boil with mussels and lobster, simple and delicious, for our picnic table. All served up, of course, with a whole fresh round of wild stories.

Tim Johnson travelled as a guest of Go Western Newfoundland, which did not review or approve this article.