PVT PLT OF SMA SEL WAS ASSISTED BY ATC OUT OF IMC AFTER HE COULD NOT MAINTAIN VFR OVER HIGH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

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CHKING FSS WX; DISCOVERED 40-50 WINDS AND SIGMET. DECIDED TO SEND MY WIFE HOME ON COMMERCIAL FLT OUT OF RNO. PLANNED TO GO TO TVL AND GO VFR IF NOT TOO TURBULENT; OR NOT TKOF AND STAY ANOTHER DAY. AT TVL; COMMERCIAL PLT OF 8-10 PLACE TURBO PROP THAT JUST ARRIVED FROM SAC SAID SMOOTH AT 13000 MSL. DECIDED TO GO FOR IT. I'M IFR CURRENT; BUT DIDN'T WANT TO GO IFR BECAUSE ONLY PLANE AVAILABLE FOR WKEND HAD MARGINAL VORS; VOR #1 VERY UNRELIABLE. ALSO; DIDN'T WANT TO BE IN CLOUDS - ICING. AFTER EXTREMELY ROUGH CLBOUT TO 1000 AGL; FLT APPEARED TO BE OKAY. GOT GOOD UPDRAFT AND CLBED TO 14000 MSL; THEN TURNED INTO 50 KT HEADWINDS FOR TRIP OVER SIERRAS. AS I APCHED MOUNTAINS; MY TROUBLE BEGAN. I WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALT; AND STARTED LOSING 400 FPM. THE CLOUD TOPS AT 12500 BECAME CLOSER AND CLOSER. IT LOOKED AT FIRST LIKE I COULD STAY ABOVE THEM AND PASS OVER THEM; BUT MY GNDSPD WAS SO SLOW I ENDED UP FLIRTING WITH IMC AND THEN IN CLOUDS. FOR A MIN OR SO I HOPED TO JUST PUNCH THROUGH; BUT THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN; THEN; I PICKED UP A SMALL DOSE OF RIME ICE -- MAYBE 1/16 INCH. I DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO CONFESS MY TROUBLES AND GET HELP. I WAS ALREADY MONITORING ZOA; AS I HAD TRIED FOR FLT FOLLOWING; AND THEY WERE TOO BUSY. I TOLD CTR 'CTR; THIS IS CESSNA XXY - - I NEED YOUR HELP.' THE CTLR ASKED FOR MY RADIAL OFF SQUAW; WHICH THE WEAK VOR SORT OF GAVE ME; AND VECTORED ME TOWARDS THE LAKE. ABOUT 30 SECONDS LATER I BROKE THROUGH INTO VMC; AND ABOUT 2 MINS LATER I COULD PROCEED VFR TOWARD CENTRAL VALLEY AND MY DEST. THE CTLR ASKED IF I NEEDED FURTHER HELP; AND WHEN I SAID NO; HE LEFT ME ON MY WAY. THINGS TO LEARN: DON'T EXPECT PERFORMANCE ABOVE SEVERE CEILING; EVEN IF ONLY PLT ON BOARD (C-172 160 HP). DON'T FLY IN MOUNTAINS IN WX -- EVER WITH LOW PERFORMANCE PLANE. ASK FOR HELP BEFORE GETTING IN TROUBLE. I WAS RELUCTANT TO PROFESS MY DILEMMA! I WAS SUFFERING FROM GET HOMEITIS COMPOUNDED WITH A RELUCTANCE TO RETURN TO TVL DUE TO EXTREMELY ROUGH TKOF. I SHOULDN'T HAVE STARTED THE TRIP. THINGS I DID RIGHT: ASKED FOR HELP AND GOT VERY CALM; PROFESSIONAL SVC IMMEDIATELY. AT LEAST WENT ALONE. NOT SURE IF TRIP COULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETED WITH MY WIFE ON BOARD. BOTTOM LINE: I FLIRTED WITH POTENTIAL DISASTER; NOT TO MENTION BEING ILLEGAL. I'M TAKING THIS FLT AS A WARNING NOT TO PUSH MY OR ACFT LIMITS.