SMA CLIMBED INTO THE SFO TCA WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative

I CALLED CLRNC DELIVERY FOR TCA CLRNC OUT OF SF TCA. I ADVISED THEM THAT I WOULD BE PROCEEDING DIRECT TO MAMMOTH LAKES; CA; ON A 075 DEG HDG AND THAT I WOULD BE CLBING TO 12500'. THIS WAS TO BE A FLT UNDER VFR WITH NO FLT PLAN FILED AS I EXPECTED TO OBTAIN FLT FOLLOWING UNTIL THE MAMMOTH PASS. CLRNC DELIVERY GAVE ME A DISCRETE TRANSPONDER CODE AND TOLD ME TO CONTACT THE TWR WHEN I WAS READY TO TAKE OFF. I COMPLETED MY RUN UP AND CONTRACTED OAK TWR FOR TKOF CLRNC AND REQUESTED A FREQ FOR THE HDOF AFTER TKOF. OAK ADVISED THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE A FREQ YET AS SOME OF THE SECTORS FREQS WERE CLOSED DOWN BUT THAT THEY WOULD ADVISE WHEN I WAS AIRBORNE AND CLRED ME FOR TKOF OFF RWY 27R. AFTER TKOF; I MADE A CLBING RIGHT TURN TO MY 075 DEG HDG TO MAMMOTH LAKES AND CONTINUED MY CLB. AFTER APPROX 4 OR 5 MINS; I CALLED OAK FOR A NEW FREQ. THEY HAD BEEN TALKING TO OTHER TFC BUT HAD NOT CONTACTED ME. OAK TWR HANDED ME OFF; I BELIEVE; TO BAY APCH ON A FREQ OF 135.4. WHEN I SWITCHED OVER TO BAY APCH; I CHKED IN 3500' MSL AND ADVISED THEM THAT I WAS CONTINUING MY CLB TO 12500'. BAY APCH ADVISED ME THAT I WAS IN THE TCA AND THAT THE TCA FLOOR WAS 3000' MSL AT THAT POINT. I ADVISED THEM THAT I HAD RECEIVED A TCA CLRNC FROM OAK. BAY APCH ADVISED ME TO CONTINUE MY CLB AND THEY CONTINUED FLT FOLLOWING AFTER I LEFT THE TCA. I BELIEVED; AND STILL BELIEVE; THAT I HAD A TCA CLRNC. FURTHER; I AM NOT CERTAIN THAT I WAS IN FACT TCA. I HAD MY RNAV SET FOR MANTECA FOR MY DIRECT ROUTING TO MAMMOTH LAKES SO I DID NOT HAVE A DME READOUT FOR THE SF VOR. HOWEVER; GIVEN MY PLANE'S NORMAL CLB OF BTWN 500-750 FPM AND A CLB SPD OF APPROX 110 KTS; I BELIEVE I WOULD BE IN THE SECTOR THAT HAS A 4500' MSL FLOOR AND AN 8000' MSL CEILING (I BELIEVE SECTION H FROM MY SF TCA CHART). I DO NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE PROB. PERHAPS I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE ALERT WHEN OAK TWR DID NOT HAVE AN IMMEDIATE HDOF FREQ. WHILE I INFREQUENTLY REQUEST TCA CLRNCS; I NORMALLY FLY OUTSIDE THE TCA IN LA; WHERE I AM BASED; OR FILE IFR; I SHOULD HAVE RECOGNIZED THAT SOMETHING WAS AMISS WHEN THEY DID NOT CALL ME WITH A NEW FREQ WHILE I WAS STILL IN THE ATA AND THEY DID NOT GIVE ME ANY ALT RESTRICTIONS. I JUST ASSUMED THAT THERE WAS NO TFC IN THE AREA AND I COULD CLB TO MY REQUESTED ALT OF 12500'. PERHAPS OAK TWR FORGOT ABOUT ME WHEN I TOOK OFF. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT COULD CORRECT THE SITUATION AS I STILL DO NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE PROB.