A STUDENT PLT ENTERED CLOUDS WHILE TRYING TO CLB OVER THEM WHILE ON A SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT. HE REQUESTED HELP FROM THE CTR CTLR AND RECEIVED ASSISTANCE UNTIL IN VFR CONDITIONS.

Narrative

I WAS ON A HDG OF 242 DEGS FROM PENDLETON TO INDEPENDENCE AT 8500 FT. THERE WAS A 25 MPH HEADWIND WITH CLR SKIES. AFTER PASSING MAYPIN I COULD SEE A HAZE AND SOME CLOUDS AHEAD. AT THIS TIME I CLBED TO 10500 FT TO GET OVER THE CLOUDS. EVENTUALLY; I REACHED 11200 FT; BUT STILL ENDED UP IN THE CLOUDS. I THOUGHT I COULD FLY THROUGH BECAUSE AT FIRST THE CLOUDS WERE THIN. QUICKLY I REALIZED THAT I WAS FLYING BLINDLY AND REQUESTED HELP FROM ZSE. THE CTLR STAYED WITH ME AND AFTER ABOUT 8-10 MINS BROUGHT ME DOWN TO 8000 FT AND I COULD SEE THROUGH AND IT WAS CLR AT A LOWER ALT SO I DROPPED DOWN TO 7600 FT AND VFR CONDITIONS. I MADE SEVERAL MISTAKES DURING THIS FLT. THE FIRST WAS THAT I DID NOT GET A NEW WX RPT AFTER I LEFT INDEPENDENCE; 5 HRS EARLIER. THE ORIGINAL WX RPT CALLED FOR THIN CLOUDS AT 12000 FT TO 14000 FT. AT PENDLETON I ONLY REQUESTED A WIND RPT. THE SECOND MISTAKE WAS THAT I FLEW INTO THE CLOUDS INSTEAD OF TURNING AROUND AND FINDING A DIFFERENT ARPT AT WHICH TO LAND. ACTUALLY; I SHOULD HAVE BROKEN OFF THE FLT AS SOON AS I COULD SEE THE CLOUDS AHEAD. I PROBABLY COULD HAVE FLOWN TO THE DALLES AND FOLLOWED THE COLUMBIA RIVER AT A MUCH LOWER VFR ALT. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A LONGER BUT SAFER FLT.