The Mountains and The Illness

The Rocky Mountains (also the Rockies) are a range of high mountains in North America which run from Alaska down to New Mexico, and separate the Midwest of the US from the West Coast. Many parts of the Rocky Mountains are popular places to visit, for camping, walking, climbing and skiing.
Sometimes when people talk about the Rockies in the US they mean the states that contain the Rocky Mountains, such as Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado. The stereotype of someone who lives in these states is a man who works on a cattle ranch, wears jeans, cowboy boots and a stetson (= the type of hat that cowboys wear). People also think about the beautiful mountains and the ski resorts where people from all over the US go skiing.

The Rocky Mountain spotted fever is a serious illness found in areas of the US near the Rocky Mountains. It is caused by the bite of a tick (= a small animal like an insect) which produces fever and pain in the muscles and bones, and it can cause death if it is not treated.