A C-172 PLT ENCOUNTERS ICE AND DSNDS TO EXIT ADVERSE ENVIRONMENT.

Narrative

I WAS FLYING IMC/IFR FROM HOMER; AK; TO KODIAK; AK. THE CLBOUT WAS NON EVENTFUL. I BROKE OUT INTO VMC AT SOME POINT ON CLB OUT AND ENJOYED CLR WX UNTIL I WAS OVER AFOGNAK ISLAND. THE TOPS GRADUALLY ROSE IN HEIGHT UNTIL WE WERE IMC. ABOUT 10 MINS PAST THAT POINT; I BEGAN TO ICE UP. MY WINDSHIELD GOT TRACE AMOUNTS; AS DID THE WINGS. IT WAS NOT MUCH; BUT IT WAS ENOUGH TO RESULT IN MY STRUGGLING TO MAINTAIN ALT. I REQUIRED 1000 FT LOWER; BUT CTR REPLIED 'UNABLE.' 5 MINS LATER; I REQUESTED IT AGAIN AND RECEIVED THE SAME RESPONSE. SOON THEREAFTER; CTR ASKED ME IF I WAS RECEIVING ICE; AND I REPLIED 'YES.' CTR THEN ASSIGNED ME THE LOWER ALT. UPON DSNDING; THE ICE BEGAN TO MELT; AND I BREATHED A WHOLE LOT EASIER. THE REST OF THE APCH WAS UNEVENTFUL. MY PERCEPTIONS OF ICING WERE BASED ONLY ON BOOK KNOWLEDGE AND NOT EXPERIENCE. JUST BECAUSE I DID NOT ICE UP IN THE IMC OUT OF HOMER DID NOT MEAN I WOULD NOT ICE UP OTHER PLACES. I LEARNED THAT ON THIS OCCASION. THE BRIGHT SUNNY DAY BTWN THE IMC CONDITIONS DISTRACTED ME FROM PAYING ATTN TO MY OUTSIDE AIR TEMP GAUGE. MY PREFLT BRIEFING INCLUDED THE ICING LEVEL; BUT I EITHER DID NOT TAKE CLOSE ENOUGH NOTE OF IT OR IT WAS THE ICING LEVEL THAT APPLIED TO HOMER; AND NOT TO KODIAK. THE 2 PLACES DIFFER IN WX VERY MUCH ON ANY GIVEN DAY. EVERY FLT I MAKE NOW; IFR OR VFR; OUTSIDE AIR TEMP AND ICING FORECASTS WILL BE PAID VERY CLOSE SCRUTINY. THIS WILL FOSTER BETTER SITUATIONAL AWARENESS FOR ME; AND MAKE ME A MUCH SAFER PLT. ACTUALLY; I ALREADY AM A SAFER PLT AS A RESULT OF THIS EXPERIENCE. I WILL NEVER AGAIN FAIL TO SCRUTINIZE APCHING IMC FOR ICING. IT IS AN INSIDIOUS TRAP THAT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN SOME BAD THINGS. I HOPE EVERY PLT THAT READS THIS TAKES NOTE AND STAYS AWAY FROM ICING. IT DOES HAPPEN AND IT WILL STACK THE DECK AGAINST YOU IF YOU ARE NOT READY TO AVOID IT COMPLETELY.