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Winter is well on its way out here in the Southwest. Thus if you plan to take a Grand Canyon helicopter tour anytime soon, make sure you bundle up. Lately, the weather has been cool, crisp and wonderful, but there have been times when it's gotten cold. "Cold" is a relative term. Out here in Arizona and Nevada, we're talking comfortable daytime highs that hit the 60's. At dawn, there can be freezing temperatures but that's not all that common. Now that I've said that, please don't get lackadaisical. For instance, the South Rim during winter is not a place for shorts and flip flops. I've seen people arrive like that and all it's going to do is cut into the "enjoyablity" of your trip. My recommendation is to give the 10-day weather forecast a good read and be conservative when it comes to predicting cold weather. Even though helicopters can maintain a nice, toasty in-cabin temperature, I still say be prepared. How prepared is dependent on the rim you visit. The West Rim, for example, is warmer than the South Rim (elevation 7,000 feet). In fact, expect the weather at the West Rim to be a lot like that you'd find in Las Vegas, except possibly a little colder and windier. Bottom line is pack for comfort. Me, I'm usually showing up in layers. That means a t-shirt, a sweater and a light or middleweight jacket depending on the rim I'm going to visit that day. Bringing a hat, gloves, lip balm and gloves are also essential to having a great experience. Scarves are a nice addition and work great to keep the cold out. Earlier I mentioned sandals. That might work for you in Las Vegas (barely), but you just might rue the day when you check in and make the trek to the helicopter that will fly you to the National Park. The real moment, however, comes once you land and exit the aircraft, which will be either the top or the bottom of the West Rim. Relatedly, you should know that Las Vegas helicopters don't fly to the South Rim. It's just too far. Thus you have two options: Bus or airplane. On average, it takes the bus 5 1/2 hours to reach the South Rim. The airplane takes all of 60 minutes. You can probably tell which option I'm leaning toward Now, like helicopters, airplanes are climate controlled, too. Not as toasty, but comfortable. It's whenever you deplane at Tusayan, which is where the Grand Canyon Airport is located, that you suck it up and enter an environment that's nothing like Las Vegas'. And it's here where I recommend you consider packing a pair of personal ice cleats, as there could be ice at some of the major lookouts. Incidentally, I was checking out the Mather Point lookout at South Rim last year. There was ice entering the lookout and actually on it. The National Park Service folks put salt on the ice and it works but for peace of mind, well, let me tell you, I was happy as a clam that I had my cleats with me. I was walking about as if I was barefoot on a sandy beach. Not my greatest example but I hope you'll cut me some slack. I hope I gave you some idea of what to expect when going for a helicopter tour to the Grand Canyon. Please remember that the West Rim is much different than the South. The former is windier and cold (bring a windbreaker) and the later is much cooler and there’s always the possibility that there might be some snow on the ground. In regards to flying on a helicopter, that's a great choice. These aircraft are a very good way to get into the soul of the canyon, and I’m confident you’ll feel as excited about them as I do once you are back on solid ground. ----------------------TRAVEL ADVISORY BY THE AUTHOR---------------------- Travel reviewer J. Moriarity is an expert on Grand Canyon helicopter flights. She recommends checking out this website for a listing of the safest and best air tour providers and here for some amazing discount rates: http://www.grandcanyonhelicopter.org/grand-canyon-helicopter-tour-coupons.html
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