#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
struct edge {
  int to;
  int cost;
};
typedef pair<int, int> P;
vector<edge> G[12000];
int d[12000];
void shortest_path(int s, int V) {
  priority_queue<P, vector<P>, greater<P> > que;
  for (int i = 0; i < V; i++) {
    d[i] = (1 << 20);
  }
  d[s] = 0;
  que.push(P(0, s));
  while (!que.empty()) {
    P p = que.top();
    que.pop();
    int v = p.second;
    if (d[v] < p.first) {
      continue;
    }
    for (int i = 0; i < G[v].size(); i++) {
      edge e = G[v][i];
      if (d[e.to] > e.cost + d[v]) {
        d[e.to] = d[v] + e.cost;
        que.push(P(d[e.to], e.to));
      }
    }
  }
}
int main() {
  int W, H;
  while (true) {
    cin >> W >> H;
    if (W * H == 0) {
      break;
    }
    string map[200];
    for (int i = 0; i < H; i++) {
      cin >> map[i + 1];
      map[i + 1] = "." + map[i + 1] + ".";
    }
    H += 2;
    W += 2;
    string str = "";
    for (int i = 0; i < W; i++) {
      str = str + ".";
      map[0] = str;
      map[H - 1] = str;
    }
    for (int i = 0; i < H - 1; i++) {
      for (int j = 0; j < W; j++) {
        int index1 = i * W + j;
        int index2 = (i + 1) * W + j;
        int cost;
        if (map[i][j] != map[i + 1][j] &&
            (map[i][j] == '#' || map[i + 1][j] == '#')) {
          cost = 1;
        } else {
          cost = 0;
        }
        edge e1, e2;
        e1.to = index2;
        e2.to = index1;
        e1.cost = cost;
        e2.cost = cost;
        G[index1].push_back(e1);
        G[index2].push_back(e2);
      }
    }
    for (int i = 0; i < H; i++) {
      for (int j = 0; j < W - 1; j++) {
        int index1 = i * W + j;
        int index2 = i * W + j + 1;
        int cost;
        if (map[i][j] != map[i][j + 1] &&
            (map[i][j] == '#' || map[i][j + 1] == '#')) {
          cost = 1;
        } else {
          cost = 0;
        }
        edge e1, e2;
        e1.to = index2;
        e2.to = index1;
        e1.cost = cost;
        e2.cost = cost;
        G[index1].push_back(e1);
        G[index2].push_back(e2);
      }
    }
    int index_goal;
    for (int i = 0; i < H; i++) {
      for (int j = 0; j < W; j++) {
        if (map[i][j] == '&') {
          index_goal = i * W + j;
        }
      }
    }
    int V = H * W;
    shortest_path(0, V);
    cout << d[index_goal] / 2 << endl;
  }
  return 0;
}
