The Northwestern University Ski and Snowboard Club will be hitting the slopes in Colorado this December for its annual ski trip, the group announced Friday.

Ski Trip 2012 will be held Dec. 15 through 21 at the Steamboat Ski & Resort in Steamboat Springs, Colo. The trip, typically attended by 800 to 1,000 NU students, was announced at a team barbecue on the Lakefill.

Steamboat, which was the location for NU Ski Trip five years ago, will offer a level familiarity to many student skiers, said Emily Arbuckle, the group’s president.

“We know that Steamboat is a resort that a lot of people love and have skied before and have had good experiences there,” the Medill senior said. “We’re hoping the resort will be a big draw for people this year.”

Several factors went into selecting this year’s trip location, including the fact that Colorado is known for early snowfall. A lack of snow was somewhat problematic with last year’s trip to Park City, Utah, Arbuckle said.

Students will also have the opportunity to attend a free concert at a site near Steamboat, Arbuckle said. Rap acts including the Ying Yang Twins and Coolio have performed during previous year’s trips.

Coincidentally, the Kellogg School of Management Ski and Snowboard Club will also be in Steamboat Springs at the same time for its own ski trip. The groups’ site selection processes were unrelated.

“We just chose it because it’s a town with a lot going on,” said Carlyn Kinn, president and treasurer of the Kellogg Ski and Snowboard Club. “It’s phenomenal skiing.”

For $198, undergraduate students can buy round-trip tickets from campus to the resort and back again, Arbuckle said.

Tickets for the Ski Trip 2012 went on sale Monday at the Norris Box Office and will be available for purchase throughout the month.