Steep Grades?

[Burgi]

Got stuck in a parking lot that was on a really steep grade (side of a mountain) this weekend. Felt like the bikes were possessed when attempting turns.  It was close to impossible to keep them from heading downhill.
I found that stopping and turning my bars towards the top of the hill was the only way to get myself going that direction. It was ugly but it was better than the alternative, a drop or crashing into a car.
Any tips or suggestions for this sort of situation (other than "don't go there"  )?

[cmyers]

Two significant things happen when riding across steep grades.

1. You dramatically loose ground clearance on the uphill side

2. You have less traction, because the contact patch of the tire is smaller on the sides. Riding across a steep grade is actually similar to riding at a constant lean angle.

Other than understanding and expecting the changes in the bike, the only useful tip I have ever heard for riding across steep grades is to shift as much of your body weight as possible to the uphill peg. This allows the bike to be more perpendicular to the riding surface increasing the tires contact patch and allowing for more lean angle to turn uphill.

[happycommuter]

One of the few things that still unnerves me is having to make some turn from a stop on an angled surface.  All I can say is anticipate gravity (the bike wants to slide downward) and compensate, leave buffer zones for miscalculation, and look way ahead and never down.

[Burgi]

I agree on the less traction and sliding. It didn't help any that there were bits of gravel and little sandy patches.
This sort of terrain has me kept me from downtown San Francisco. Dealing with the hills and city traffic seems like a huge overload.