Ta for the examples; yes, in this case it's "gone" rather than simply not rendered. Indeed, I expect if / when it is reformed it'll likely be a different path.

I'm an experienced hiker (30 years), and spent some time from the lower/western end attempting to see even where the track might have been in order to reform it. It's basically bush-bashing. However I accept that it may have been there at some point, and/or it's a goat track used by a local, so if an appropriate tag would leave it in place yet prevent it from showing up as a walking track, then I think that would be a good compromise. I presume trail_visibility=no would do that?