#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <sstream>
#include <algorithm>
#include <vector>
#include <utility>
#include <functional>
#include <stack>
#include <queue>
#include <map>
#include <set>
#include <cstdio>
#include <cstdlib>
#include <cstring>
#include <cmath>
#include <deque>
#include <ctime>
  
using namespace std;
  
#define rep(i,n) REP(i,0,n)
#define REP(i,s,e) for(int i=(s); i<(int)(e); i++)
#define pb push_back
#define mp make_pair
#define all(r) r.begin(),r.end()
#define rall(r) r.rbegin(),r.rend()
#define fi first
#define se second
#define println(X) cout<<X<<endl;
#define DBG(X) cout<<#X<<" : "<<X<<endl;
  
typedef long long ll;
typedef vector<int> vi;
typedef vector<vi> vii;
typedef vector<ll> vl;
typedef vector<vl> vll;
typedef pair<int, int> pii;
typedef pair<ll, ll> pll;
 
const int INF = 1e9;
const ll MOD = 1e9 + 7;
double EPS = 1e-8;
const double PI = acos(-1);

//0156

int dx[]={-1,1,0,0};
int dy[]={0,0,-1,1};

int d[110][110];

bool isOutOfRange(int x, int y, int w, int h){
    if(x < 0 || x >= w || y < 0 || y >= h) return true;
    return false;
}

string s[110];

int main(){
    int x, y;
    int sx, sy;
    while(cin>>x>>y && x && y){
        rep(i, y) cin>>s[i];
        rep(i, y) rep(j, x){
            if(s[i][j] == '&'){
                sx = j;
                sy = i;
            }
            d[i][j] = INF;
        }
        //cout<<y<<" "<<x<<endl;
        priority_queue<pair<int, pii> > q;
        q.push(mp(0, mp(sy, sx)));
        d[sy][sx] = 0;
        pair<int, pii> p;
        int ans = INF;
        while(!q.empty()){
            p = q.top(); q.pop();
            //cout<<" "<<p.fi<<" ("<<p.se.fi<<", "<<p.se.fi<<endl;
            rep(i, 4){
                int nx = p.se.se + dx[i];
                int ny = p.se.fi + dy[i];
                if(isOutOfRange(nx, ny, x, y)){
                    ans = min(ans, -p.fi);
                    break;
                }
                int c = -p.fi + (s[ny][nx]=='#'?1:0);
                if(d[ny][nx] <= c) continue;
                d[ny][nx] = c;
                q.push(mp(-c, mp(ny, nx)));
            }
            if(ans != INF) break;
        }
        cout<<ans<<endl;
    }
}