INSTRUCTOR PLT ON A NIGHT XCOUNTRY IN A C172 TURNED BACK TO RETURN TO HOME BASE AFTER WX ENCOUNTER AND BECAME DISORIENTED WHICH RESULTED IN ALMOST COLLIDING WITH A HIGH MOUNTAIN PEAK AND ENTERED A MIL ALERT AREA WITHOUT COORD WITH ATC.

Narrative

I WAS ON A NIGHT XCOUNTRY FROM HENDERSON (L15) TO SACRAMENTO. DURING THE FLT; I ENCOUNTERED SOME SNOW AND TRACE ICING; THOUGH REMAINED VMC. AFTER SPEAKING TO RNO RADIO AROUND HIDEN INTXN ON V135; I DECIDED TO TURN BACK. DURING RETURN TRIP; I BECAME DISORIENTED AS TO MY POS. DME WASN'T FUNCTIONING PROPERLY; AND NAV RADIOS WERE ALSO SQUIRRELLY. THE PLAN WAS TO FLY S; UNTIL CLRING MOUNT CHARLESTON; THEN TURN E. INSTEAD; I VERY NEARLY HIT MOUNT CHARLESTON; WHICH FRAZZLED MY NERVES A BIT. I COULD SEE THE LIGHTS OF LAS VEGAS AROUND IT; AND WITHOUT THINKING; I TURNED TOWARDS VEGAS. LAS APCH CLRED ME THROUGH THE CLASS B BACK TO HENDERSON. THEY DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT MY POS; WHICH I NOTICED LATER WAS WITHIN THE A481 RESTR AIRSPACE. AFTER MY CLOSE CALL WITH MOUNT CHARLESTON; AND MY EAGER DESIRE TO RETURN HOME; I DIDN'T THINK TO DOUBLECHK MY CHARTS FOR RESTR AIRSPACE. I JUST SAW THE LIGHTS AND TURNED IN TO THEM; THINKING ONLY OF THE CLASS B. A MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THAT IN MY HASTE TO LEAVE; I HADN'T BOTHERED CALLING FOR A WX BRIEFING. HAD I OBTAINED ONE; I NEVER WOULD HAVE GONE IN THE FIRST PLACE.