Whitney and Yosemite. We also hope to summit Mt. Lassen and hike in the Crater Lake region. The axes I have researched are the Stubai Blue Star and Mountain Star. I was also considering just picking up a couple pair of ski poles at the thrift stores and using those. Any insight wold be greatly appreciated.
Ice axes are useful things.
But the thing they're designed for and best at is to help you self-arrest on steep snow, chop handholds or footholds on steepish ice, or provide an anchor point when hauling someone out of a crevasse. All those, however, are fairly technical maneuvers. Unless you have some instruction and practice in them, an ice axe may be more hindrance than help. They can even be dangerous. An ice axe is nothing so much as a very sharp, specialized hatchet with a very sharp pick on the other end.