Eastern skiers desperately seeking snow make last-minute rush for Rockies

While Alberta and B.C. ski resorts are experiencing some of the best early-season conditions in decades, there'svirtually no snow at many resorts in Ontario and Quebec sotour companies are rushing to find last-minute accommodation over the holidays for their easternclients.

"It's really, really bad. There's no snow, there's just nothing. We skied a little but it's spring skiing here," said Jennifer Brousseau, a ski travel agent with Sportvac Voyages based in Saint-Lambert, Quebec.

"A lot of mountains are not even open yet."

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Brousseau has been scrambling to find last-minute accommodation forskiers and boarders fromQuebecseeking powder over the Christmas holidays.

"People didn't expect that there was not going to be any snow so they are looking to go out west."

She says it's been a challenge to find anything for her clients in Banff, Lake Louise or Whistler over the holidays.

And that's not just because it's the high season.

Brousseau says more Americans are vacationing in Western Canada this winter, taking advantage of the strong U.S. dollar.

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She's evenbeen looking at ski hills thatare a three to five-hour drivefrom the Calgaryairport,such as Revelstoke, Kicking HorseandFernie.

"It's just that they're really small and don't have much accommodation,so they've been full for quite a while now."