#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <algorithm>
#include <functional>
#include <vector>
#include <utility>
#include <cstring>
#include <iomanip>
#include <numeric>
#include <cmath>
#include <queue>
#include <map>
using namespace std;
typedef long long ll;
typedef pair<int, int> P;
const int INF = 1<<30; 
const int MOD = 1e9 + 7;
const int dy[] = {1, 0, -1, 0};
const int dx[] = {0, 1, 0, -1};
const int MAX_N = 150;
char table[MAX_N][MAX_N];
int n, m;
int bfs(int y, int x)
{
    queue<P> que;
    int used[m + 1][n + 1];
    for(int i = 0; i < m; i++) for(int j = 0; j < n; j++) used[i][j] = INF;
    que.push(P(y, x));
    used[y][x] = 0;
    while(que.size())
    {
        P p = que.front(); que.pop();
        for(int i = 0; i < 4; i++)
        {
            int ny = p.first + dy[i];
            int nx = p.second + dx[i];
            int cnt = used[p.first][p.second];
            if(ny >= m || nx >= n || ny < 0 || nx < 0) continue;
            //問題文に注意
            if(table[ny][nx] == '#' && not (table[p.first][p.second] == '#')) cnt++;
            if(used[ny][nx] > cnt)
            {
                used[ny][nx] = cnt;
                que.push(P(ny, nx));
            }
        }
    }
    int res = INF;
    for(int i = 0; i < m; i++) res = min({res, used[i][0], used[i][n - 1]});
    for(int j = 0; j < n; j++) res = min({res, used[0][j], used[m - 1][j]});
    return res;
}
int main()
{
    cin.tie(0);
    ios::sync_with_stdio(false);
    while(cin >> n >> m, n | m)
    {
        int sy, sx;
        for(int i = 0; i < m; i++)
        {
            for(int j = 0; j < n; j++)
            {
                cin >> table[i][j];
                if(table[i][j] == '&') sy = i, sx = j;
            }
        }
        cout << bfs(sy, sx) << endl;
    }
    return 0;
}


