Okay, let me tell you how my first day at Mill Creek Motocross went down, figured I’d write it out while it’s still fresh. Total rookie move going in, but hey, gotta start somewhere, right?
Getting There & Registration
Drove out to Mill Creek bright and early, maybe a bit too early. Felt kinda nervous pulling into the parking lot – seeing all the rigs and guys already unloading serious looking bikes. Signed in at the trailer thing, paid my fee. They slapped a wristband on me and gave me a quick rundown of the track rules. Honestly, my mind was kinda racing, so I probably only caught half of it.
Geared Up (The Struggle!)
Pulled my gear out of the trunk. I borrowed most of it from a buddy who rides. Let me tell you, getting that dang gear on is its own battle! The boots felt like clunky robot feet – so stiff walking around was ridiculous. The helmet felt tight, gloves felt weird. And getting the chest protector to sit right under my jersey? Forget it. Felt completely awkward and clumsy. Definitely underestimated how long this part takes!
Bike Prep & Getting On
My buddy helped me unload his spare bike – a 125. Not huge, but looked plenty big to me. Checked tire pressure, oil, gas – basics he showed me. Then came the moment: swinging a leg over. With those huge boots, it felt like trying to climb a fence! Finally got situated. Sat there just feeling the weight underneath me, trying to remember the controls. Thumb for the throttle, clutch lever left, front brake right, foot brake right… seemed simple enough sitting still. Yeah, right.
The Safety “Loop”
They have this beginner section with a small loop track. Before hitting the main track, everyone new has to do some laps here with a monitor watching. Got the bike started (kickstart took a few tries, felt like an idiot). The minute I let the clutch out? Whoa. Bike lurched, I stalled. Embarrassing. Tried again, way too much throttle this time. Bike jumped, I grabbed a handful of front brake, almost tipped over. Started sweating like crazy inside the helmet. Found a smoother clutch point after a few more stalls, managed to putter around the loop. Felt incredibly wobbly. Corners felt terrifying – like the bike was gonna just slide out. The monitor guy gave some pointers: “Look where you wanna go, not down!”, “Stand up more!”, “Smooth throttle!” Easier said than done!
Venturing Out on the Beginner Track
After surviving the loop, I felt semi-confident enough to try the actual beginner track section. Big mistake. It was way more intimidating than the little loop. Little hills? Felt like mountains. Gentle berms? Felt like cliffs. I swear even a tiny pebble tried to murder me out there. Spent most of the time in 2nd gear, just trying to stay upright and not hit anyone.
- Throttle control was nonexistent: Still jerky, either bogging down or revving too high.
- Standing up: Almost forgot to do it half the time, legs felt weak.
- Braking: Grabbed too much front brake once going down a slight incline – felt the back wheel lift a tiny bit. Scared the mess outta me.
- Looking ahead: Found myself staring at my front fender constantly instead of looking up the trail.
Did maybe 3-4 very slow, very shaky laps. Came back absolutely wiped out. Arms felt like jelly, legs were shaky. Had to stop. Way tougher than I ever imagined.
Calling It A Day
Sat by the truck for a good 30 minutes, helmet off, just drinking water and watching others. Couldn’t believe how effortless some of the riders made it look. Packed up my stuff, which felt heavy after the effort, and loaded the bike. Hands were throbbing a bit from gripping too tight.
Overall? Exhausting, a little frustrating, but honestly? So much fun. Didn’t crash, didn’t break anything (me or the bike!), managed to do some laps. Definitely hooked, even though I sucked. Already thinking about when I can get back out there and hopefully feel less like a total noob. Key takeaway? Way harder than it looks, but totally worth the adrenaline buzz. Just gotta keep it simple, stay safe, and be cool with looking dumb for a while.
