IMC IN VFR FLT BY PVT PLT ON A XCOUNTRY FLT.

Narrative

THE MORNING OF THE FLT; I CALLED FOR WX 3 DIFFERENT TIMES OVER THE PERIOD OF 3 OR 4 HRS. EACH TIME THERE WAS AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE WX RPTS FOR MY RTE. MY FINAL CALL SHOWED ENRTE CEILING OF 5000 FT IN OLYMPIA; AS I RECALL; WITH GOOD VISIBILITY AND RENTON RPTING BETTER WX THAN OLYMPIA. THE WX RPT STATED THAT VFR WAS NOT RECOMMENDED; I ASSUME; BECAUSE OF LOW CEILING IN PORTLAND AND POOR VISIBILITY DUE TO RAIN. HOWEVER; AT OUR LOCATION IN HILLSBOROUGH; ATIS WAS RPTING A 2800 FT CEILING WITH APPROX 10 MI VISIBILITY. BASED ON WX RPTS; I MADE A DECISION TO TKOF IN GOOD VFR. PROCEEDING N; AVOIDING THE POOR WX TO THE E; BOTH THE CEILING AND VISIBILITY IMPROVED. AS I REARED KELSO; THE CEILING BECAME INCREASINGLY RAGGED AND DROPPING FROM THE SMOOTH 3000 FT CEILING TO APPROX 2500 FT. I WAS IN GOOD VFR WX AND HAD KELSO IN SIGHT. MY PAX AND I WERE HAVING A VERY COMFORTABLE CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW THE CEILING WAS DROPPING AND BECOMING VERY RAGGED WITH HVY RAIN FALL OVER KELSO. AT THIS TIME I WAS APPROX 2 MI S OF KELSO. UNDER NO PRESSURE TO CONTINUE OUR FLT; ALTHOUGH IT APPEARED AS THOUGH A MARGINAL VFR FLT COULD CONTINUE N AT A LOWER ALT; I MADE THE DECISION TO RETURN TO MY POINT OF ORIGIN; HILLSBOROUGH. WHILE TURNING AROUND; IN GOOD VFR AND IN A 10-20 MI VISIBILITY; THE CEILING LITERALLY FELL ON ME. I HAD MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS IN SECONDS. I DSNDED RAPIDLY TO STAY VFR; BUT THE WX OVERTOOK US FROM ABOVE AND I WAS LOOSING SIGHT OF THE RIVER AT APPROX 1000 FT AGL. BY THE COUNT OF 3 IT WAS A TOTAL WHITE-OUT. I WAS IN IMC CONDITIONS. BECAUSE I HAVE TRIED TO READ EVERY ACCIDENT RPT I KNEW I HAD TO STAY CALM. I SET WINGS LEVEL AND A CLB AT 500 FPM AFTER REALIZING SOMEHOW I HAD GOTTEN THE PLANE INTO AN UNUSUAL ATTITUDE. THE MOMENT I WAS STABLE; I CALLED CTR; AND AT THAT POINT; THEY HAD ME SQUAWK 7700. FROM THAT POINT I WORKED HARD TO STAY CALM; LEVEL; AND ON WHATEVER COURSE CTR GAVE. CTR HAD US CLB TO 6000 FT AND FLY DIRECT TO OLYMPIA WHERE WE DSNDED AND RESUMED VFR. I AM A FAIRLY NEW PLT; 1 YR; AND CALLING CTR ON THE RADIO IS INTIMIDATING. LOOKING BACK THAT CALM VOICE AT CTR SAVED MY LIFE. I LOVE FLYING BUT I AM ONE WHO IS GOING TO GO LEARN HOW TO FLY IFR.