The Plateau of Relativity

I'm reading a novel right now, the title I don't care to give because all of my friends say it's a great book, and I find it quite poorly done. Yet, it is a popular book, so who am to say.... It did catch my eye at one moment, even though the description that caught my eye broke the rule of don't show it to me unless it has meaning. Well, I think it broke the rule; I, for the life of me, couldn't figure out why it was there. Perhaps it is me. Anyway, the description to which I refer is a description of a valley, a plateau really. But what made this valley unique was that it was at 5000 feet above sea level. I never thought of a valley being above sea level. I have always thought of a valley as a lake waiting to happen if not for the protection of the mountains surrounding it. Like this disjointed scene, I suppose we can find rich, lush valleys anywhere, anytime. Even valleys that almost touch the sky. Hmmm. Just thinking.