Was not traced, I definitely walked along it and can actually remember it. tracktype = 4 is perhaps generous, especially for the Southern end. Entrances were also less clear but there was a very distinct path and I know I passed a couple of other people along it. When you say that you thought it had been removed, do you mean from OSM or some attempt to scrub it from existance? If the latter, it seems some regular users keep taking the shortcut. The longer main track is certainly much more major with, I think, a fresh new surface. I could very much believe that at the time of resurfacing, the wider loop was created in order to keep people further from wildlife.