The cover coat in down and the first top coat falling on probably the biggest ski season this coast of the United States has ever seen.

Since the war, Eastern slope trials and tows, which had previously been but one tentacle to draw winter sports minded Americans to resort studded mountains, have lengthened and strengthened and now have a virtual strangle-hold around every likely hill in the north east.

Bull dozer's and teams of men worked away through the hot summer months molding mountain shoulders with an eye for the first snow. Steel beains and steel towers were erected, wire cord was hung to feed more trials, wider than ever, with a network of town for the benefit of parallel enthusiasts.

This week expanded winter resort facilities started full blast. An average foot of base and up to a two inch blanket of powder made conditions fair to good in most areas. A few regularly scheduled ski trains will be rolling out of the Boston and Maine station loaded with College vacationers this weekend.

Stowe is the most popular resort for College students. Most of the trails have been widened. The Stowe Standard, Gulch, Tyro, and North open slope runs have been smoothed and are now serviced by longer T-bar and rope tows.

The top of the famous Lord trail, a nar- row hazard to even the best skiers last year, was given a face lifting and now provides room for any amount of tail-wagging and stemming. Mount Mansfield, hidden in the nether regions of Vermont and a long voyage by train or car, caters to skiers who want to ski and has little social life. It is expensive, but the expense pays for fun over the hickories, not over cocktails.

Stowe has little to offer the novice, One trail, a converted toll road to the peak, is gentle and smooth, while two other trails, blazed this year especially for novices, still have tough spots. Mansfield is a steep mountain, home of the Nose Dive, which was once an Olympic downhill run but is new one of the most popular export trails in the East, and, as such, draws skiers with considerable experience.

Big Bromley in Manchester, Vermont, is the domain, like Stowe, of the intermediate and expert. It has seen much manicuring during the past four years and is now fed by three alpine lifts, in an inverted "Y" formation, running from two outruns at the base.

The rocky and rugged Blue Ribben trail provides more schussing and less plummeting than last year. As long as the weather favors the south-facing trails, the skiing is smooth and fast, and popularity of the area has instigated plans for another network of trails and tows on the north side of the Mountain. The ski club's big annual slalom is held at Bromley.

Nearby is Snow Valley, the skier's Coney Island. Broad snow-covered highways of novice and intermediate difficulty, run from the unloading stations of two lifts and two tows.

Although their main attraction, instructor Fred Iseland, has gone to the Aspen ski area in Colorado, Snow Valley with its long season due to north-facing slopes provides fair to good skiing for large weekend crowds.

For jumping enthusiasts, Hogback Mountain in Brattleboro, Vermont, is the place to go. The 70 metre jump, scene of Winged Trophy judging, is the biggest and best in the east, possibly excepting the Lake Placid jump.

Hogback is relatively close to Boston, 95 miles, and has facilities for novice to expert downhill runners. The Brattleboro region was given the New Look over the summer in the extension of old trails and tows and the addition of one new trail-tow network.

Diminutive Size

Of diminutive size compared to other major trail-entwined slopes in Pico Peak in Rutland, Vermont. There are an alpine lift and a rope tow hauling for two open slopes and one trail. The open slopes, though short, are sleep and difficult, and provide good proving grounds for slalom and schuss techniques.