WITH NO FLT PLAN FILED AND NOT UTILIZING FLT FOLLOWING; NON-INSTRUMENT RATED SMT PLT DEPARTS ON 700+ NM CROSS COUNTRY ACROSS THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS AND IS COMPELLED TO CLIMB ABOVE FL180 TO AVOID IMC. ATC ADVISES HIM OF HIS ERROR.

Narrative

I TOOK OFF FROM CALHAN; CO (5V4) FOR TRIP TO RENO; NV. COS; CO; WAS CLR -- VAIL; CO; WAS RAINING AND CLOUDY. MY WX SHOWED SOME BROKEN CLOUDS COMING IN FROM THE S ALONG MY RTE TO MILFORD; UT; WHICH MILFORD WAS RPTING CLR SKIES AND SO WAS RENO; NV. ENRTE TO PUEBLO; CO; I SAW A FEW CLOUDS OVER MONARCH PASS. I WAS AT 10500 FT MSL AND I WAS LISTENING TO DENVER ATC. I DID NOT CALL ZDV. I WENT OVER MONARCH PASS AT 14500 FT MSL AND I STAYED AT 14500 FT MSL. I WENT OVER GUNNISON; CO; WHICH HAD BROKEN CLOUDS. I WAS VFR ON TOP. I SET MY GPS TO MILFORD; UT (MLF). AT MONTROSE; COL; THERE WERE JUST A FEW CLOUDS. I STAYED AT 14500 FT MSL. AT MOAH; UT; THE CLOUDS BELOW ME WERE GETTING THICKER AND HIGHER; SO I CLBED TO 16500 FT MSL. I ENDED UP AT 17500 FT MSL E OF HAWKSVILLE. I CHKED ON MILFORD; UT; WITH FSS AND IT WAS RPTING (BY OTHER ACFT) AS CLR. MILFORD IS MY STOP FOR FUEL. SO WITH THIS INFO; I DECIDED TO CONTINUE ON TO MILFORD ON TOP. I STILL DID NOT TALK TO ZLC. BUT I WAS LISTENING TO THEM. I DIDN'T HEAR THEM TALKING TO ANYONE IN MY AREA OR ALT. AT THIS TIME I NEEDED TO CLB TO STAY OUT OF THE CLOUDS. I KNEW THAT THE MOUNTAINS ARE HIGH IN THIS AREA; SO I ELECTED NOT TO GO DOWN. SO I STARTED TO CLB. AT FL185; ZLC CALLED FOR AN ACFT AT MY SPD AND ALT AND CLBING AT HANKSVILLE WITH MY DIRECTION OF FLT TO CALL THEM; WHICH I DID CALL THEM. I GAVE THEM MY INTENTIONS. THEY ADVISED ME OF MY VIOLATION AND SUGGESTED I DSND. HE SAID DENVER AND SALT LAKE HAD BEEN TRACKING ME. THERE WAS A VERY LARGE BREAK IN THE CLOUDS TO MY S; SO I DSNDED DOWN TO 10000 FT MSL. I TURNED N AND WENT AROUND THE HILL AT BURRVILLE AND MONROE; UT; AND LANDED AT MILFORD; UT. ZLC GAVE ME A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL. I HAD NO PHONE SVC AT MILFORD. I FUELED THE PLANE AND DEPARTED FOR RENO. I STAYED AT 12500 FT MSL AND LISTENED TO ATC INTO RENO AND I LANDED AT RENO. AT MY MOTEL I CALLED AND TALKED TO A NICE MAN (EITHER A CTLR OR SUPVR -- I DIDN'T GET HIS NAME). HE EXPLAINED MY VIOLATION AND SAID HE DIDN'T KNOW IF HE WAS GOING TO RPT THIS. I EXPLAINED THAT I KNOW I WAS WRONG; BUT TO BE SAFE; I NEEDED TO STAY OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND I DID NOT WANT TO BE WANDERING AROUND THE HILLS TRYING TO GET TO CLR SKIES. I AM RPTING THIS TO SAY: I MADE A MISTAKE. I DIDN'T CALL ZDV OR ZLC FOR FLT FOLLOWING. I WILL NEXT TIME CALL. I WAS IN CLASS A AIRSPACE (FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME) AND THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. I AM WORKING ON MY IFR TICKET. THE NEXT TIME I AM AT CLASS A AIRSPACE I WILL HAVE MY IFR TICKET AND I WILL CONTACT ATC. I NEEDED TO COMMUNICATE BETTER. SORRY. THIS IS MY FIRST VIOLATION AND I HAVE BEEN FLYING SINCE THE LATE 1960'S (1967).