Anyone who’s flown cross-country can attest to the majesty of the Sierra Nevada seen from the air. But jet travel is not geared to sightseeing. From 35,000 feet, Half Dome might as well be Half Lump and Lake Tahoe is the prettiest mud puddle you’ve ever laid eyes on. A small plane trip above Lake Tahoe or from Tahoe to Yosemite, on the other hand, is like climbing every high peak in the range on a morning’s ramble. The veteran backcountry explorer, even, will see the Sierra as never before.