#include <iostream>
#include <algorithm>
#include <iomanip>

using namespace std;

const int INF = 1000000000;
const int N = 102;

int h, w;
char mapData[N][N];
int gx, gy;
int dx[] = {0, 1, 0, -1};
int dy[] = {-1, 0, 1, 0};
int height[N][N];

void dfs(int y, int x, int cost){
  if(mapData[y][x] == '#') ++ cost;
  height[y][x] = cost;
  for(int i=0;i<4;i++){
    int ty = y + dy[i];
    int tx = x + dx[i];
    if(ty < 0 || ty >= h) continue;
    if(tx < 0 || tx >= w) continue;
    if(height[ty][tx] <= cost) continue;
    dfs(ty, tx, cost);
  }
}

int solve(){
  fill(height[0], height[N], INF);
  dfs(0, 0, 0);
  return height[gy][gx];
}

main(){
  while(cin >> w >> h && (h || w)){
    int i = 0, j;
    for(j=0;j<=w+1;j++){
      mapData[i][j] = '.';
    }
    for(i=1;i<=h;i++){
      for(j=0;;j++){
	if(j == 0){
	  mapData[i][j] = '.';
	  continue;
	}
	if(j == w + 1){
	  mapData[i][j] = '.';
	  break;
	}
	cin >> mapData[i][j];
	if(mapData[i][j] == '&'){
	  mapData[i][j] = '.';
	  gy = i;
	  gx = j;
	}
      }
    }
    for(j=0;j<=w+1;j++){
      mapData[i][j] = '.';
    }
    cout << solve() << endl;
  }
  return 0;
}