We're sorry to hear that you're having trouble, C.J.! It sounds like a couple of things are happening here: Usually, when pie dough shrinks as you've described it's because it needs some rest time to allow the gluten strands to relax. We'd recommend lining your pie pan and then popping the lined pan into the fridge to rest for about 20 minutes. The crust could also be shrinking because you need to add a touch more water to hydrate the flour, which is drier due to being in the desert — next time around try adding a tablespoon or so more water to help fully hydrate the flour. We hope this can help and happy baking! 

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