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The Torch in Utah
The Olympic Torch finally arrives in Utah Monday morning! Want to know if it will pass by you this week? Check out the schedule for the locations and tentative times for the Utah leg of the torch run.
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After travelling 12 thousand miles in 45 states, the Olympic torch finally made its first Utah appearance at sunrise Monday in the hands of a Ute Indian.
It happened in one of Utah's most beautiful places-- Delicate Arch, near Moab.
After a brief American Indian ceremony, runner Frank B. Arrowchis, a member of the Northern Ute Tribe, took the flame down the slickrock sandstone. A team of runners including Stephanie Laree Spann and Forrest Cuch was to take it through this park. It was headed for Moab, about five miles away.
The flame will arrive in Salt Lake City on Thursday, after a 13-thousand, 500-mile journey that saw it carried through 46 states.
The 17-day games begin Friday.
Monday will be a busy day for the torch in Utah. From Delicate Arch, the flame will be carried by runners and bicyclists to Moab, where the relay entourage will fly to Monument Valley and then to Bryce National Park. A motorized convoy will take the flame to Zion National Park, Springdale, Hurricane and to St. George for an evening celebration.
The torch was lit in Athens, Greece, in November, and began its U.S. journey in Atlanta, Georgia.
By the time it reaches Salt Lake for Opening Ceremonies on February 8, it will have traveled through 46 states, made stops in 125 major cities, and traveled 13,500 miles
over 65 days.
The torch relay will spend four days touring Utah. The identity of the final torch bearer won't be known until that person enters Rice-Eccles Stadium. It's one of organizers' closest-held secrets.
On Feb. 5 the relay will run through Cedar City, Parowan, Beaver, Richfield, Centerfield, Manti, Gunnison, Ephraim, Nephi and spend the night in Provo for a celebration at BYU's Cougar Stadium.
It will resume Feb. 6 in American Fork, where designated runners include entertainers Donny and Marie Osmond.
Other runners will take the flame through Lehi and, after another vehicle convoy, it will be carried by pony express through Camp Floyd State Park. After a run through Tooele, the flame will be driven over a Great Salt Lake causeway to Antelope Island.
From there the relay will head through Layton, Clearfield, Sunset, Roy, Ogden, Tremonton, Garland, Logan, Brigham City and back to Ogden for the night.
The relay will head out Feb. 7 on the east side of the Wasatch Mountains for Midway, Heber City and Park City. It will arrive in Salt Lake City via Emigration Canyon for a big celebration on the grounds of the City-County Building.
For plans on Feb. 8, check the links in the box above.
