In article ,
Peter Clinch wrote:

"just a bit beyond dedicated track skis". NNN BC and a compatible light
boot combined with a relatively narrow touring ski (maybe with an edge,
maybe not) makes much more sense for this than any randonee setup

As a matter of curiousity, why does NNN BC exist, or why did it come
into being, in competition with 3 pin bindings?

I happen to use NNN BC with waxless edged skiis (Karhu 10th Mountain or
the like) for some very low-key backcountry exploring around Lake Tahoe
(climb up a ridge or peak, maybe on an unplowed Forest Service road;
admire the view; very cautiously ski back down, with hardly any downhill
turns), because that's the equipment I was pointed to initially. But
the choice in boots seems much more limited for NNN BC than for 3 pin.