During his first expedition in August of 1981 he discovered the remains of stone walls that made up part of the inlay of the trail.
中央山脈多粘板岩和砂岩礦，清人無論築路、搭營，多就地取材，而這些「建材」，也就成為今人尋路訪址的唯一憑藉了。七十年八月，陳仲玉首次調查東埔至大水窋的西段古道時，在沿途白洋金礦工寮、杜鵑營地、南營地的路肩駁坎發現了殘留的石牆。