I don't know about "important" but
 

Personally, I'm a lot more comfortable if I am able to do so.

I quickly scanned this thread, so apologies if this video of Jocenlin Snow was posted already. She is a real inspiration:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYp1zXyc0fA

Impressive riding skills and physical fitness. That course is a good example of conditions one does actually encounter when off the beaten trail. Boulder field: when more level like that course it often has a stream trickling through it, or those boulder conditions can be found when crossing a river, hidden out of sight by the river flow. Typically, I've run in to boulders like that on steep up or down hill sections of a road, eroded to the boulders because of the excessive grade and past rainstorms. Sand, berms, yes. Even that log; I had to cross a river gorge due to high river volume and flow, crossing on a log bridge that was about the width of a single track, made of two logs with dirt between them. No room to walk the moto, it had to be ridden. The normal river ford was not an option at the time.

No way for me on that big GS, never. My skills, physical fitness, and age are the limitations. However, on a 250cc moto, fun! Even a 650cc moto, yes, with some limits.