#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std ;

#define pb(n) push_back(n)
#define fi first
#define se second
#define all(r) begin(r),end(r)
#define vmax(ary) *max_element(all(ary))
#define vmin(ary) *min_element(all(ary))
#define debug(x) cout<<#x<<": "<<x<<endl
#define fcout(n) cout<<fixed<<setprecision((n))
#define scout(n) cout<<setw(n)
#define vary(type,name,size,init) vector< type> name(size,init)
#define vvl(v,w,h,init) vector<vector<ll>> v(w,vector<ll>(h,init))
#define mp(a,b) make_pair(a,b)

#define rep(i,n) for(int i = 0; i < (int)(n);++i)
#define REP(i,a,b) for(int i = (a);i < (int)(b);++i)
#define repi(it,array) for(auto it = array.begin(),end = array.end(); it != end;++it)
#define repa(n,array) for(auto &n :(array))

using ll = long long;
using pii = pair<int,int> ;
using pll = pair<ll,ll> ;

const int mod = 1000000007;
constexpr ll inf = ((1<<30)-1)*2+1 ;
constexpr double PI = acos(-1.0) ;
double eps = 1e-10 ;
const int dy[] = {-1,0,1,0,1,-1,1,-1};
const int dx[] = {0,-1,0,1,1,-1,-1,1};

inline bool value(int x,int y,int w,int h){
  return (x >= 0 && x < w && y >= 0 && y < h);
}

int main(){
  cin.tie(0);
  ios::sync_with_stdio(false);
  ll n,m;
  while(cin >> n >> m && n+m){
    vector<vector<char>> v(n,vector<char>(m,' '));
    int x = 0,y = 0;
    rep(i,m){
      rep(j,n){
        cin >> v[j][i];
        if(v[j][i] == '&'){
          x = j;
          y = i;
        }
      }
    }
    int ans = inf;
    using pii = pair<int,int>;
    vector<vector<int>> d(n,vector<int>(m,inf));
    pii pos = mp(x,y);
    d[x][y] = 0;
    queue<pii> q;
    q.push(pos);
    while(q.size()){
      auto Q = q.front();q.pop();
      int x = Q.fi,y = Q.se;
      rep(i,4){
        int nx = Q.fi + dx[i],ny = Q.se + dy[i];
        if(value(nx,ny,n,m) ){
          if( d[x][y] + (v[nx][ny] == '#') < d[nx][ny]){
            q.push(mp(nx,ny));
            d[nx][ny] = (v[nx][ny] == '#') + d[x][y];
          }
        }
        else{
          ans = min(ans,d[x][y]);
        }
      }
    }
    cout << ans << endl;
  }
  return 0;
}