Can anyone confirm this is the issue?
It's hard to tell. I think that it looks like compression in some leaking oil. I may be wrong. Did you ever buy the UV coolant dye/test kit? That would be the best way to tell what this is.
Also, the gasket on the passenger side looks horrendous.
While I couldn't see any bubbles on the passenger's side like on the driver's side, I don't doubt that there is some. I agree that this head gasket looks pretty bad. I think that it should be replaced at this point. I also think that you should just replace both since (I'm assuming) they're both the same age.
Any threads with information on people changing head gaskets in the truck?
There has been several. Maybe not specifically about doing this, but it has been mentioned many times. You will have to leave a head bolt or two as well as a push rod or two in the passenger's side head while you remove and install the head. They will not come out since they hit the HVAC box. The alternative is to remove at least part of the HVAC box in order to get all of the bolts and push rods out. Also, IIRC, the same thing goes for the driver's side with an automatic transmission. At least it goes on the earlier ones that use a shift linkage to the transmission and have the rotating piece on the steering column (I have no idea what it's called, but it has to do with the shifting). You may not have push rod clearance issues, but you do have head bolt clearance issues. You will either need to be pretty strong in the upper body (trunk, arms, and shoulders) or you'll need lifting assistance such as a cherry picker. When I was young and dumb(er) at around 25, I used to use the strong man method. The only way that I could do this was to put a bundle of shop rags on the HVAC box or the brake booster (depending on which side I was working on) so that I could put my head against the rags and I used my head as a three point stance. All of this is why I always recommend pulling the engine out to remove the heads. Not to mention that you have way less of a chance of damaging a head gasket when you are right beside the engine while putting the heads back on. Also, if it's a worst case scenario and the engine needs to be replaced (or a head bolt breaks off) the engine is already out of the truck and you just saved yourself A LOT of extra work and four letter words.