SMA X CHANGE FROM VFR TO IFR. CTLR THOUGHT ACFT VFR.

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RENO; NV; WAS RPTING A CEILING OF 3500 FT. THERE HAD BEEN AN INCREASE IN AIRLINE TFC THERE RECENTLY AND APCH WAS VERY BUSY. I CONTACTED RENO APCH AND ADVISED THEM THAT I WAS VFR OVER SPOONER PASS. I REQUESTED THE APCH IN USE AT THAT TIME; THE RWY 34L LOC BACK COURSE. APCH GAVE ME A XPONDER CODE; A VECTOR AND AN ALT. AFTER SEVERAL VECTORS AND ALT CHANGES; I WAS GIVEN AN ALT CHANGE AND HDG THAT DIDN'T SEEM CORRECT. THE HDG WAS TAKING ME AWAY FROM THE LOC; AND THE LOWER ALT WAS GOING TO PUT ME IN THE CLOUDS IN A MOUNTAINOUS AREA. I ASKED APCH IF THEY WERE GIVING ME TERRAIN CLRNC SINCE I WAS IN THE CLOUDS. I WASN'T IN THE CLOUDS YET; BUT I WOULD HAVE ENTERED THE CLOUDS IN A FEW SECONDS AND IT SEEMED TO ME THAT I HAD BETTER GET APCH'S ATTN IN A HURRY. APCH; FOR THE FIRST TIME; STATED 'MAINTAIN VFR.' AT THIS TIME I EXERCISED MY AUTHORITY AS PIC AND TOLD APCH THAT I WOULD STAY ABOVE THE CLOUDS; HEAD S AND COME BACK IN UNDER THE CEILINGS; WHICH I DID. THE TWR WAS CALLED AFTER I LANDED (THEIR REQUEST). I WAS ADVISED THAT APCH THOUGHT I WAS VFR AND THEY WERE STUNNED WHEN I SAID I WAS IN THE CLOUDS. I TOLD THEM THAT THEY HAD BETTER PULL THEIR TAPE AND LISTEN TO IT; AND THEY REALLY WOULD BE STUNNED WHEN THEY GOT TO THE PART ABOUT MY REQUESTING THE RWY 34L LOC BACK COURSE. WHAT A TRAP. I REQUESTED THE APCH; THEY RESPONDED WITH AN ALT; COURSE AND SQUAWK. THEY THEN GAVE ME AN ALT AND HDG THAT PUTS ME INTO CLOUDS IN A MOUNTAINOUS AREA WITHOUT PROPER TERRAIN CLRNC IF I COMPLY. THIS ALL COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF AT ANY TIME APCH SAID; 'MAINTAIN VFR.' THE TWR SUPVR SAID THAT THEY WERE EXTREMELY BUSY AND MUST HAVE MISSED MY REQUEST FOR THE APCH.