A LANCAIR PLT ENTERS IFR CONDITIONS WHILE VFR.

Narrative

I CHKED WX AT ABOUT XX00. MY FLT WAS TO BE FROM CCR TO VCB TO GET FUEL; AND THEN FROM VCB TO WVI WITH AN ETA OF ABOUT XA30. THE MRY TAF CALLED FOR VISIBILITY GREATER THAN 6 MI; SCATTERED 030; BROKEN 150 BY XB00 LCL. AS I APCHED SE SAN JOSE; I COULD SEE CLOUD LAYERS COVERING THE AREA; IT WAS WORSE THAN FORECAST. I TUNED THE WVI ASOS APPROX 1400 FT OVCST; 5 MI. I DECIDED TO SEE IF I COULD MAKE IT UNDER THE OVCST; XING A RIDGE. AT ABOUT SJC 135 DEGS AND 25 NM; I DECIDED TO TURN BACK. IN THE TURN; I INADVERTENTLY ENTERED THE CLOUDS. I HAD TO MAKE A QUICK DECISION: DSND AND RISK HITTING SOMETHING OR CLB AND ASK APCH FOR HELP. I DECIDED TO CLB. I CONTACTED APCH; AND BEFORE THE CTLR HAD A CHANCE TO DO MUCH MORE THAN GIVE ME A SQUAWK; I GOT THROUGH THE LAYER INTO VFR CONDITIONS BTWN LAYERS. I WAS IN IMC FOR ABOUT 3-4 MINS HEADING E. I PROCEEDED EBOUND FOR ABOUT 10 MINS BTWN LAYERS AND FOUND A HOLE THROUGH WHICH I COULD DSND. I THEN FOLLOWED HWY 5 NBOUND AT ABOUT 600 FT AGL UNDER THE OVCST UNTIL CONDITIONS IMPROVED NEAR TCY AND I COULD CLB. THE MAIN CAUSE OF THE PROB WAS MY DECISION TO PROCEED UNDER THE OVCST. I NORMALLY DO NOT LIKE TO DO THAT; BUT I WAS SCHEDULED TO MEET SOMEONE IN WVI. MY SECOND ERROR; THE MAJOR ERROR; WAS DECIDING TO TURN BACK JUST A LITTLE TOO LATE OVER THE RIDGE. I PROBABLY COULD HAVE MADE IT THROUGH THE 'NOTCH' IN THE RIDGE; BUT I COULDN'T SEE ENOUGH THROUGH IT. AS I TURNED; MY TURN RADIUS TOOK ME OVER RISING TERRAIN. I CLBED JUST A LITTLE; AND I STARTED ENTERING THE OVCST.