Front Range cross country skiing beta

Do I just buy a pair and head out? Any good spots?

For front range XC tours, a good reference, just recently published:

https://www.cmc.org/books/books/the-best-ski-touring-routes-colorados-front-range

Yep! I love scales and metal edges along with any not-completely-floppy boot for side-country touring. Just make sure you match the boot to the binding type -- 3-pin or NNN bc work great. This will get you a total workhorse, ready-to-go rig. Consider checking for cheap gear at Play it Again Sports or thrift stores so you don't mind thrashing them in variable conditions and/or walking across the pavement of plowed bike trails. Being persnickety about conditions will dramatically limit the number of days you can ski. When there's snow on the ground, all the Front Range open spaces are fun touring. When you gotta go a bit higher, check out Brainard Lakes, Rollins Pass and the Switzerland Trail above Boulder ( alltrails.com/trail/us/colo…)

Check out the avalanche danger level and be familiar with risky terrain.