Here is one possible solution. A set of something similar came with the bike I bought off a co-worker. There is a clipless side and a flat pedal side. They're heavier than a regular clipless, but you'll have a lot more confidence tackling that hill. Nice thing about them is if you want to hammer with bike shoes, you can do that too.

http://www.performancebike.com/bikes..._20000_1501501

I remember my first crash with clipless. It was like my third ride with them and I overcooked a corner. I did the panic unclip by pulling straight up. Of course they did not release. I hit a curb and went into a pile of very coarse gravel bruising my hip and shoulder. Now, the best part. The first thing I did, was not check myself or my bike. No. My first reaction was, "Did anybody see that?"

Later when I got back to the car after 60 miles of riding I made sure that I unclipped well before the stop. I came to a nice even stop and then proceded to get off the unclipped side. BAM! Down I went again on the same hip and shoulder. After checking again to see if anyone else saw that, I let fly with some colorful remarks about the advantages of the clipless pedal.

Even though I ride 80 miles with these pedals I still haven't changed them out after seven years. I find that I don't want to use the shoes if I'm going to the store or getting my car worked on. I think that you will find these pedals to be a nice compromise, that is, if you use SPD.