Worker Uses His Back To Push Huge Cliff As Rocks Crash Down Above Washington Highway

A first-person video shows a dramatic and dangerous moment during slope stabilization work above State Route 20, where a worker physically leans into a collapsing rock formation to dislodge unstable material.

Filmed from another crew member positioned on the steep mountainside, the shaky footage captures a worker wearing a neon yellow safety vest, hard hat, and full harness suspended on a near-vertical cliff above SR 20 near Diablo Lake.

Instead of only using hand tools, the worker is seen pressing his back directly against the huge rock surface as part of the scaling process. As he applies force, sections of the cliff begin to shift and break away.

Large rocks suddenly give way and tumble down the slope, crashing toward the closed highway below in clouds of brown dust. The movement is fast and violent, with debris rolling and scattering down the steep terrain.

The camera follows closely from behind, shaking as it tracks the worker’s position on the unstable rock formation. Safety ropes and parts of the filming crew’s gear are visible in the foreground, emphasizing the exposed conditions.

The worker continues carefully moving along the cliff while pushing against unstable sections, causing additional smaller rockfalls as crews work to clear hazards from the slope.

The video was recorded during emergency stabilization work on the North Cascades Highway following a rockslide near milepost 131.

SR 20 remains closed between Colonial Creek Campground near milepost 130 and Porcupine Creek near milepost 156 while crews continue multi-day repairs across the damaged corridor.