SMA PLT FLIES INTO RISING CLOUD LAYERS. HIS CARB ICE; STALLS ACFT; LOSES CTL; SINKS INTO CLOUDS. ONLY HAS TURN AND BANK INDICATOR. WITH ATC ASSISTANCE GOT BTWN CLOUD LAYERS; FOUND HOLE; GOT BELOW CLOUDS; CONTINUED.

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WHILE ENRTE ON A FLT FROM S86 TO WISCONSIN AND PASSING OVER THE MOUNTAINS E OF KALISPELL; THE FORECAST SCATTERED LAYER OVER THE MOUNTAINS WENT TO BROKEN AND SOLID. I ELECTED TO CONTINUE VFR ON TOP AS I WAS NEARING THE PLAINS AND HAD COMFORTABLE CLRNC ABOVE THE CLOUDS. MONITORING GTF ATIS I EXPECTED AT WORST FOR THE CLOUD LAYER TO BE BROKEN AT GTF. I CONTACTED GTF APCH WHEN ENTERING ARSA FROM THE W. HOWEVER AFTER PASSING OVER GTF IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE CLOUD LAYER WAS NOT ONLY NOT BROKEN; BUT SOLID; RISING AND MEETING A HIGHER SCATTERED LAYER. APCH CTL HAD BEEN CALLING TFC. I ASKED FOR MANEUVERS AS NECESSARY TO REMAIN VFR AND WAS SO CLRED. I CONTINUED TO CLB AND MANEUVER HOPING FOR IMPROVEMENT AHEAD BUT AT AROUND 12000 MSL AND IN A HIGH ANGLE OF ATTACK; HIGH P FACTOR AND WEAK CLB; THE CARB ICED. SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF PWR CAUSED ACFT TO SINK IMMEDIATELY INTO THE CLOUDS. (ACFT HAS ONLY TURN AND BANK INDICATOR.) FAMILY ON BOARD WENT NUTS! AFTER REGAINING PWR WITH CARB HEAT AND QUIETING FAMILY; I REALIZED I WAS STILL HOLDING BACK PRESSURE AND HARD R RUDDER! THE ACFT HAD STALLED ONCE AND WAS ABOUT TO STALL A SECOND TIME. I WAS RELUCTANT TO SINK FURTHER IN THE CLOUDS AND HESITATED LOWERING THE NOSE. THE ACFT STALLED A SECOND TIME. I INSTRUCTED WIFE IF WE WISHED TO LIVE I HAD TO BE ABLE TO HEAR THE WIND; ENG; RADIO; ETC. I NEEDED EVERY CLUE POSSIBLE. THIS TIME I DROPPED THE NOSE AND BROKE THE STALL. NOW AIRSPD BUILDING EXCESSIVELY. I PULLED PWR AND 'EASED' THE NOSE UP MAYBE 2 G'S AND WIFE THOUGHT SHE WAS GOING TO DIE. KID CRYING. ME MAD AT MYSELF AND SCARED TO DEATH. I STILL HAD NO WING LEVELING INFO BUT EVENTUALLY GOT STABILIZED. I HAD ASKED APCH FOR ASSISTANCE TO GET DOWN JUST BEFORE 1 MI OCCURRED. SHORTLY AFTER STABILIZING I FLEW OUT TO BTWN CLOUD LAYERS AND SUBSEQUENTLY STAYED CLR. APCH ASKED FOR CONFIRMATION OF CTL AND HDG. APCH ALSO SOLICITED CLOUD INFO FROM ACFT IN VICINITY. I ASKED APCH TO KEEP ME POINTED AWAY FROM RISING TERRAIN AND FREEDOM TO MANEUVER WHICH WAS GRANTED. APPROX 15 MINS I FOUND A SMALL HOLE AND ASKED TO SPIRAL DOWN. UNDER THE CLOUDS AT LAST; I ASKED FOR CONFIRMATION ON MY LOCATION FROM GTF. AFTER REGROUPING; REORGANIZING AND THANKING THE CTLR; WE CONTINUED ON TO OUR PLANNED STOP AT LWT. WITH THE CTLR'S HELP; MY BASIC TRAINING AND THE GRACE OF GOD; DID WE MANAGE A SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME. I AM SINCERELY GRATEFUL. SOME ARGUE THAT VFR AT NIGHT SHOULD BE ILLEGAL; BUT NOW I BELIEVE VFR ON TOP IS MORE DANGEROUS. PERSONALLY; IT IS MY LAST TIME. I WOULD HAVE BENEFITTED FROM TRAINING (HOOD) WITH GYROSCOPES COVERED. INST TRAINING SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED. I WILL GET THE RATING. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY; AND HARDEST TO TEACH; IS EVERYONE IS VULNERABLE. I ALMOST EXTERMINATED MY FAMILY THE OLDEST WAY IN THE BOOK; VFR IN IMC. I NEVER THOUGHT I COULD GET INTO SUCH A FIX.