I have a new addiction: The Chutes at Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe.

The Chutes are some super steep terrain that Mt. Rose just opened to the public last month. Prior to that, it was illegal to ski the Chutes, but I know of people who would hike in and ski them after the ski area had closed for the season.

But now you can ski them and keep going back for more, which is exactly what I did on Saturday.

The Chutes are all a big mind game. It's all about getting past your fears and just skiing. I won't claim that I skied them with grace, but I skied them, which is a feat in itself.

The top of the Chutes are extremely steep. As you ski down them, if there is someone coming up behind you, they are knocking snow down on you, causing a mini avalanche. (Mini, I said, just little sprinkles of snow, because they do avalanche controls in the Cutes).

You really don't want to fall on the top half of the runs on the Chutes, because you'd most likely slide for quite a ways. You have to really push that thought and mental image out of your mind while you're on them.

For a split second, though, that thought did cross my mind, and I was thinking, You really don't want to fall here, and I fell.

As I was tipping over, a small whimper of panic escaped from my lips. Luckily, I managed to just sit down and didn't slide at all. It was a close call, though.

Another time, I stopped to take this picture of the Chutes while I was in the middle of the hill.

It's hard to tell from that picture exactly how steep the terrain is, but believe me, it's steep. It didn't really hit me how precarious of a position I was in while I was taking until I was in the middle of taking the picture... It's hard to balance on a steep slope in skis while you're focusing a camera and trying not to drop anything.

You couldn't get me to stop doing the Chutes while I was there on Saturday. It was such a feeling of conquering that I just wanted to keep going back for more. And then, when you're standing at the top with your skis poking over the edge, the adrenaline rush is quite the high.

Like this:

You can see a trail map here. I've now skied Nightmare, Hornet's Nest, Yellow Jacket, El Cap, Jackpot, and Exhibition.

Here is a view looking down on the Chutes:

Though it boasts Tahoe's highest base elevation, that's about all Mt. Rose has to brag about. The runs are extremely short, and going off-trail is a near non-existent term. Anything bt the groomers were iced over and tracked out months ago. Another annoying feature was that, though two of the lifts were high-speed six seaters, they had gates before you got on that all but eliminated the option of sitting with more than one friend. Double and single occupancy lines only!! Overall, I was not impressed, and unless they pay me, I won't be back.

It was our second day of skiing and second mountain. I would highly recommend this mountain for the person or persons who like wide-open and long trails. It's great skiing and snowboarding. The food was great at the clubhouse, and the staff was extremely helpful. I'll sum it up: AWESOME. I will be back next year for the first day of skiing...

Mount Rose is a great mountain just 20 minutes from the fun of the casino strip. It seems to be more of a family mountain. There are trails for all levels of riders/skiers and lots of sun--don't let the weather in the valley (Reno) trick you; it's warm and sunny at the mountain. The snow conditions were great. We did find ourselves a little winded at the mountain--keep in mind that this is the highest elevation in Nevada at 10,000 feet! You won't be disappointed.

The bulk of the runs are green beginner and blue intermediate. The staff is very well organized and caring. We have been going to Mt. Rose for the last seven years and it has always been a wonderful experience. They have a rosebud program that our children started in. It cost $110 for the day, and this includes equipment, lessons, and lunch/snack. They also have three terrain parks that offer special jumps and terrains.

We usually stay in Reno, and it is a fairly easy ride to mount Rose. The road does get hilly and windy as you get up to the lodge, but just drive easy and it is fine. They also have different special during the week: Tuesday is two for one, Wednesday the student cost is $19, and Thursday is ladies day with a $19 special.