[Cruiserdrew]

Not a tour guide, but if you are interested in the American West and the Great Basin, this is a terrific read and the conclusions of Powell about the West, still ring true today.

"Beyond the Hundredth Meridian: John Wesley Powell and the Second Opening of the West"

by Wallace Stegner


For general trail guides in the Sierras, the Roger Mitchell books cannot be beat. He has been 4wheeling the Sierras since the 50s and is still alive today, living in Oakhurst. I love the facts and bits that go into every book. I've learned more about Death Valley from his books than all of the literature from the Park Service combined.