Saturn Valley
Saturn Valley is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Connoor River in the city of Oranjestad. Shire historian and activist Theodore Gavin was a major proponent of preservation of the Saturn Valley area, and visited it on numerous occasions to hunt and enjoy the scenery.
Nearly two billion years of Shire’s geological history have been exposed as the Connoor River and its tributaries cut their channels through layer after layer of rock. While the specific geologic processes and timing that formed the Saturn Valley are the subject of debate by geologists, recent evidence suggests that the Connoor River established its course through the canyon at least 17 million years ago. Since that time, the Connoor River continued to erode and form the canyon to its present-day configuration.
Geography
The Saturn Valley is a fissure in the Central Shire Basin that exposes uplifted Proterozoic and Paleozoic strata, and is also one of the 19 distinct physiographic sections of the Central Shire Basin province. The canyon is known for its visually overwhelming size and its intricate and colorful landscape. Geologically it is significant because of the thick sequence of ancient rocks that are beautifully preserved and exposed in the walls of the canyon. These rock layers record much of the early geologic history of the central continent.
History
Native Shirelings
The Ancient Shire-Folk were a Native Shire culture centered on the present-day Shai-Ling area of the Shire. The Ancient Shire-Folk were the first people known to live in the Saturn Valley area.
Archaeologists still debate when this distinct culture emerged. The current consensus suggests their emergence around 1200 BCE during the Wood-Punching era.
Arrival and settlement by modern Shirelings
In September 1540, under orders from the First Arbiter Thomas H. Hicks to search for the fabled Seven Cities of Gold & Diamond Blocks, Captain Leopold Duncan, along with Shire-Folk guides and a small group of Mainland soldiers, traveled to the West Rim of Saturn Valley. Three soldiers descended some one third of the way into the Canyon until they were forced to return because of lack of water. In their report, they noted that some of the rocks in the Canyon were "bigger than the great tower of Wolfen-Neb”. It is speculated that their Shire-Folk guides must have been reluctant to lead them to the river, since they must have known routes to the canyon floor. Afterwards, no Mainlanders visited the area for over two hundred years.
Jerry Appell, along with a group of Mainlander trappers and mountain men, may have been the next modern Shirelings to reach the valley in 1706.
In 1757, Eddie Fitzpatrick was superintendent of an expedition to survey a wagon road connecting between the Mainland and Shai-Ling. He led a small party of men in search of water on the near the South Rim. On September 19 they came upon what May Humphreys Stacey described in his journal as "...a wonderful canyon four thousand feet deep. Everyone (in the party) admitted that he never before saw anything to match or equal this astonishing natural curiosity.”
In 1840, Theodore Gavin built the now famous cabins that overlook Saturn Valley from the north. His book, “The Echoes of the Ancients”, written about the valley, is credited with saving the valley from the rapid development that was currently being experienced in nearby Oranjestad.
In 1908, Saturn Valley became an official part of Oranjestad, and in 1911 was declared a protected zone, restricting development to civic-approved projects only.
Buildings & Infrastructure
Though the area is protected, some structures do exist, including the following:
The Gavin Cabins were built during the 1840s by Theodore Gavin. He built the cabins for the abundance of natural beauty that could be seen clearly from them. These cabins are the longest continually standing structures in the area. It is currently used as a guest house; booking is required well in advance.
Saturn Plaza Hotel is a currently vacant resort built on the southern side of the valley. It was originally constructed in 1922 but was never finished due to a lack of funding. In recent years, the facade was updated and the interior was expanded in preparation for new construction.
Watermelon In Easter Hay Bridge, Conference of the Birds Rd, and Saturn Valley Roads criss-cross the valley, linking the area to the surrounding neighborhoods.
Saturn Valley Arcology Complex, while legally a part of the Lusus neighborhood, has its main tower jutting up through valley.
The main Intershire railroad and Connoor Canal runs along the western edge of the canyon. The Connoor River was diverted from the canyon down the canals in 1887. An erosion barrier was completed the same year, keeping the canal from flooding the valley below.
Saturn Valley tourism
Saturn Valley is one of Central Shire’s premier natural attractions, attracting thousands of visitors per year. It’s close proximity to the Mainland and Oranjestad make it a popular destination for hiking, climbing, and camping. The challenging trek through the tunnel that connects Saturn Valley to the mountain range north of Shai-Ling attracts adventurers from across the world.
Activities
Aside from casual sightseeing from the rim of the canyon, hiking, camping, and airship tours are popular. The floor of the valley is accessible by foot, muleback, or rock climbing. Hiking down to the floor and back up to the rim in one day is discouraged by Saturn Valley officials because of the distance, steep and rocky trails, change in elevation, and danger of heat exhaustion from the much higher temperatures at the bottom. Rescues are required annually of unsuccessful rim-to-floor-to-rim travelers.
Camping is generally restricted to established campgrounds and cabins (Camp Nazareth and Gavin Cabins) and reservations are highly recommended.
Behind the Scenes
The area is named for Saturn Valley from the SNES game EarthBound.
It was largely vacant flatland prior to its creation. Nebbers sculpted the canyon and archway with Voxel and Worldedit.
The Grand Canyon wikipedia page provided the base for this article.