My first 4 wheeling trip in my very first 4 wheel drive I took my new to me, rough as a cob 78 Chevy 3/4 ton 4x4 up in the Bookcliffs near Grand Junction, Colorado. If anybody knows the area, then you know all about bentonite and clay. Me, I was young and with my first 4 wheeler. I got to a steep hill that somebody had tried to climb and failed. Of course, I was going to make it. Like a complete newbie ass, I stuck the truck in 4 HIGH, got about 60-70ft up the slope and dug into the slime.
One thing you really have to watch for out here is the dirt on top will dry, but there will be wet clay under it. Being in 4 high I had no power, being in clay I had no traction. The truck was an automatic so I just let it start winding it's way back down the slope without shifting. It soon got to going much quicker than my 18yr old cajones were ready for and I figured I would give the brakes some light pressure. BIG MISTAKE! The rear brakes were out of adjustment and it turned me sideways. Now I'm sliding sideways down a clay hill with a small ledge leading up to a nice roll over onto the asphalt. Figuring the time for not really participating was over, I slammed the truck into reverse, cranked the wheel hard, floored it, swung the nose around and got down nose first.
Then, I went home

 

Some awesome stories here, I guess the guys with worse stories aren't around to tell theirs...

Anyway, I grew up in PA and got to drive in lots of snow. I found that when I was about to lose control (because of engine braking), I would slap it in neutral, and then I could steer effectively for a bit, then start braking and praying again. Using neutral during slippery driving helped a lot, has anyone else tried this?