SMA PLT FLIES INTO RISING TERRAIN AND DETERIORATING WX. BECOMES LOST. FLT ASSIST.

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MY WIFE AND I WERE FLYING FROM A LOWLAND AREA INTO MOUNTAIN REGION WHICH CAUSED A RAPID CHANGE IN VFR FLT CONDITIONS. WE WERE BTWN THE 2 VORS WE HAD PLANNED TO USE AND AT THE TOP OF THE MEMPHIS MAP. I TRIED TO 180 DEG TURN AND CIRCLED BUT COULD NOT FLY BELOW THE CLOUDS AND MAINTAIN PROPER SAFE ALT. UNABLE TO ESTABLISH POS AND NEAREST ARPT I USED 121.5 AND GOT JONESBORO FSS. THE CALM ASSURANCE OF HELP INVOLVED USING ZKC; OTHER PLTS AND EXTENSIVE INVESTIGATION OF POSSIBLE LNDG SITES. FOR SOME REASON WE COULD ONLY ESTABLISH 1-WAY CONVERSATIONS WITH ZKC WHO QUICKLY PICKED US UP AND RELAYED DATA TO VECTOR US. AFTER ABOUT AN HR OF TENSE FLYING; MOSTLY ABOVE CLOUDS; WE WERE BROUGHT DOWN THROUGH A HOLE AT MIAMI; OK. WHEN I WAS FORCED TO CLB I LITERALLY LOST MY MAP READER TO CLOSED EYES AND HAIL MARY'S. LOOKING BACK I SEE A LACK OF SUFFICIENT ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND AND EVALUATE WX INFO; A NEED FOR QUICK REF NOTES (IN LARGE PRINT) FOR THE QUICK USE OF PLT; AND MORE COMPLETE FLT PLANNING. WRESTLING WITH MAPS CAN BE A BIG PROB WHEN FLYING; IT REQUIRES FULL CONCENTRATION. I AM HAPPY WE HAD FULL TANKS AND SO MUCH FINE HELP FROM BELOW.