>>2798983I'm a retard and didn't even answer your questions.
Nordic backcountry skiing is the middle ground between groomed trail-bound cross country skiing and steep alpine touring. It's good for skiing the backcountry in various conditions and on varying terrain.
Do you practice it?
Yes. It's very fun, both to cover ground on snow and to stay in shape. More effortless than snowshoeing, but definitely can't go everywhere the snowhoes can.
Is it common?
Here in Norway it is. It originated here, pretty much. Probably quite niche in the great US of A though.
Do you need a prepared trail for it or you go on wild snow?
With nordic backcountry gear you don't need a prepared trail. You break trail yourself, which can be quite exhausting at times. On regular cross country skis however, a groomed trail is pretty much necessary. They aren't really made for flotation on snow, but speed and efficiency as they are narrow and long. Nordic backcountry skis can vary in sizes, on the other hand. You can get them both narrow and wide, short and long, depending on use case and personal preference. If they're narrow enough (70mm max.) they also fit in regular groomed trail tracks.
I personally recommend waxless skis, as I prefer my coffee breaks to consist of drinking cofe instead of waxing skis. Then there's the question of steel edges or not. If you want to ski with your dog, forgo the steel edges. It's like a knife edge and not a good combination with dog paws.
Go for a leather boot (Crispi, Alpina, Alfa) and the tried and true Rottefella NNN-BC binding. Can recommend the Telemarktalk forum if you want to delve deeper into it.
